The Magical Tales of Shooting Stars
by robertkellett
Summary: When it comes to the world of Mewni and Earth, there are many tales to tell across time and space. And sometimes, even other lifetimes and dimensions. Every story has a single conduit; the people that are Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz. They always meet one another, some way, somehow. Enjoy this collection of stories featuring the two lovable dorks.
1. Baby Steps (S3A Story)

Marco slouched on his way down a large fleet of stairs, with a gravely unamused Star Butterfly marching ahead of him. _Gee… Great job, Diaz. You just barge into her life again thinking 'Oh, she cares about me still, maybe we can go on an adventure or something. But noooooo, you messed up yet ANOTHER thing…_ Marco folded his arms, trying to keep up with Star's shockingly fast pace.

"So… Why are you really back?" Star finally stopped walking, refusing to look behind her. Marco stopped walking himself, his head tilted to the right. "…You …You haven't called. Or said anything to me since our 'longer goodbye'. I… I get it. You was busy. But _I_ did a lot of stuff while you was gone. It… It kinda stinks seeing you again, being real."

 _Well, that makes me feel better…_ Marco bitterly mused in his head. "…I …I gave up a lot. I willingly did." Marco finally met her eyes, some odd mixture of emotions blending in his own. "I figured… We could go on adventures or something again. All I really want, is for us to be friends again." Star's blue eyes felt touched at first, but quickly morphed into anger. "And I'm aware of the… 'Feelings' Talk we pushed back. Not cool of me. Sorry." Marco looked away from her again, kicking his feet sheepishly.

Star calmed down, forming a thin frown on her face. "Well… I'm happy with Tom now." Star turned around, clearly showing a clenched up fist. "I assume… Jackie dumped you, right?" Marco bit his lip, not answering her question. But she just laughed bitterly, as if he did. "You are something… Thinking…"

"No." Marco walked up to Star, nearly touching her shoulder but pulling back at the last second. "I'm not 'playing' the 'oh, my best friend liked me at some point and figures she can do me a favor!' card. You **know** I'm not like that, Star." Marco said firmly, his brown eyes conveying hurt. Star let out a tired sigh, pushing him back. _Great… She doesn't believe me._ Marco shook his head and started walking back.

"Where are you…" Star asked in surprise but Marco laughed himself. Star stopped walking, just looking at him.

"You moved on from me, both as my friend and… Whatever more we had in the past." Marco admitted, feeling his chest hurt for some reason. _Why's that?_ He shook the feeling off. "I got my scissors, right? If I really want adventure, I can make my own. Sorry for running your day. If you want to hang out or whatever, let me know. I promise to call in advance next time… That is if you _even_ want to see me again."

Star just saw him walk off, unsure what to do. Marco made careful steps, not looking back at all. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. STUPID._ Marco hissed at himself, feeling his steps getting harsher and more excessive. _I hurt her again. Why do I keep DOING THAT?!_ Marco started stomping, nearly running up the steps. He faintly heard steps after him, but Marco didn't care. _I can't do this again. I can't…_ Marco fell to the ground, tripping over the top step. _Marco Diaz: Master of Falling Over Stairs…_

Star caught up to Marco, shaking her head in baffled amusement. "You are stupid." She held out her hand, which Marco took. When he got up, they looked at one another, letting eyes say things their hearts refused to communicate. Marco opened his mouth to speak but he felt Star give him a crushing hug. "You… I still care about you, dummy. Seeing you again out of the blue just… Confuses me is all." Marco gently brushed her hair, feeling goosebumps crawling down his spine. _Why does this feel so awkward? We always hug…_ "I gotta talk with Mom, but I can figure something out."

Marco gently pushed Star back, his eyes blinking in surprise. "F-For what? I… I could just return to Earth if you want." Star let a small smile grace her face, playfully resting hands on her hips.

"I'm not losing my adventure buddy." She walked back to her room, leaving Marco downright frozen in place. Star turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Coming or what?"

"Y… You are giving me another chance? To be your friend again?" Marco asked, downright shocked. "I… I hurt you. You… You moved on… Being here is only going to cause…" Star laughed at his comments, only confusing him further.

"Marco Diaz. I crashed into your life at one point and you didn't turn me away." She gave a genuine smile, on that made Marco's heart flutter. _Why is she having this effect on me? I feel so torn…_ "Wouldn't be fair if I kick you back to Earth unless you _really_ do something to tick me off, buddy."

Marco smiled. He felt his face hurt from how much he smiled. He felt his world, which was missing _something_ get restored. Colors were pouring over his senses. _Things feel right again…_ Folding his arms, Marco walked next to Star, the duo walking down a hall. "So, how's princess life again?"

Star giggled and chatted away with Marco. The two feeling a familiar connections slowly weaving itself back together again. Challenges are clearly in the way, as are muddled emotions. But two best friends, found one another once more.

* * *

Walking back into her room, Star saw Tom sitting on her bed, kicking his feet absentmindedly. _Or corn, left him alone without any warning… Oh jeez._ Tom sprang up seeing her and Marco. "Marco! Come here." Tom held his arms wide open, with Marco giving him a joyful bro hug. _Hehe… Cute._ Star mused to herself.

"Should I get a room for you two love birds?" Star teased, making Tom and Marco slid back _far_ away, the two coughing to collect themselves. Star giggled, seeing smiles on the boy's faces. "Anyway, Tom… Uh, Marco's back on Mewni."

"Well duh." Tom snickered, pointing to Marco. "I see him right there. Question is, for what dude?" Marco leaned on the wall, folding his arms and letting out a sigh. _Wonder what he's thinking. I'm sure he's…_

"Kinda messed my life up on Earth and wanted to go on adventures. I figured, selfishly I admit, Star would want to join me on one." He looked to Star, giving a very somber frown. "But that was stupid, for a number of reasons. She has a lot on her plate here and you two are a thing." Marco shot Tom a proud smile, though some odd sadness in his brown eyes betrayed the intended emotion. "Congrats to you two. Knew you were working on changing man, but Star falling for you again was… Something I never expected. She hated you on Earth."

 _Excuse me? Well I… Well, yeah, I did hate Tom on Earth._ She looked at the demon, who was laughing at Marco's comment. _But I know he's trying and… It's sweet seeing him try so hard. I'm trying too._ Star sat down next to him, throwing her arm around Tom's shoulder. "You're right when you're right, Marco." Star answered simply, having a stupid smile, looking at Tom. "But he's not so bad once you know him better."

Marco laughed at the comment, as if he said it himself. _I think Marco did say that to me…_ "Happy for you two, really." Marco said firmly, though his voice hitched a bit, something he himself was surprised by. _He… He's not happy? I thought he would be._ Star didn't let some annoyed emotions spring up though, seeing Marco shake his head and lightly punching Tom's shoulder. The two boy's still smiled, joyful to see one another. _Likely still upset from that talk a few minutes ago… It really did hurt seeing him again. More so when…_ Star patted her cheeks, trying to fight off some odd emotion. _No, you don't like him anymore. That was a silly crush. Mewberty or something._ The two boys gave Star a worried look. "What?"

Tom raised his finger to say something but dropped it, seemingly shifting his thoughts. "So… Since you're here for adventure Marco, why don't we all go together?" Tom folded his arms, a playful smirk dancing across his face. "You know… Never saw you two in action before. Outside of when… I nearly killed you that one time."

Marco rolled his eyes, surprising Star. _He really forgave Tom for the Blood Moon Ball that quickly? Yeah, a year or so. But still…_ Star still felt some anger toward her boyfriend, as back then, his anger nearly burnt Marco to a crisp. "How about it Star? We get to hang out and you can bond with your boyfriend at the same time! Uh… Wouldn't that make me a third wheel though?" Marco said in self-realization, his voice getting progressively lower. _There he goes again…_

"Nah, we promise to not be too lovey dovey." Tom kissed Star's cheek, making her blush and get out of her thoughts. "Right, Starship." She looked between herself and Marco, seeing very different emotions on each boy's face. Marco's of confused sadness, Toms of joyful happiness. She just locked her vision on to Tom, unable to read Marco's face.

"Yeah, we proooooomise Marco." Star said positively, Marco giving a goofy smile in response. He took out his scissors, tossing them to Star. "Uh… Don't you want to 'pick the adventure'? These are your bad-boy's after all."

Marco snickered, folding his arms. "I crashed back into your lives, so it's only fair you decide the adventure. Besides, you always know the best adventuring places anyway." Marco said joyfully, his smile downright infectious. _That cute mole's distracting…_ Star mused, feeling strange even pondering that. She shook her head, making a careful slice into the air.

"This is going to be fun." Tom nearly shouted, feeling excited. Star never saw him this joyful, even when they went on various dates across the Underworld and Mewni. Marco soon followed but Star pulled him back, gently passing him his scissors.

"Star? You… You look upset." Marco said, rubbing his neck. "I can really just hang back here and you can tell Tom…" Star shook her head, giving Marco a knowing look with her blue orbs. Marco blinked, feeling his face heat up. "S-Star?"

… _This is going to be difficult._ She admitted to herself, looking away from Marco. "L-Let's go." She hopped into the blue vortex, leaving Marco alone. He rubbed his neck, worriedly following in after her.


	2. Looking for My Legacy

It was a dark night in the land called 'Mewni', with tall modern buildings scattered around a somewhat quiet town. People were soundly sleeping, lights were off, but two pairs of footsteps echoed through the night. The two shadowy figures lept from building to building, making graceful landings in succession.

As they continued getting across the rooftops, one of the figures couldn't help but hide her amused smirk. Jumping into the air, she grabbed a poll, making a skillful swing before landing in her destination. The second figure landed next to her, covering his knees and wiping some sweat off.

"You know, I could have used the van and drove around the corner." The young man complained, stepping out of the shadows. He wore a rugged red vest, sleek combat boots and black gloves coating his hands. The man's vest had a red hood, dangling behind his back.

The first figure turned around, leaning slyly in the man's direction. "Come on Marco, we tried this soooo many times." The woman took off her blue hood, exposing a bright face with the bluest sky-blue eyes. Her face had oddly pink heart marks but her attire was the most striking. She wore a slick magicians outfit, though it was different than most. The top was a mixture of pinks and blacks, while her legs were covered with a short blue skirt and black leggings. The woman's feet were covered with basic flats while her hands were coated with blue gloves. Marco rubbed his neck, smiling sheepishly at the woman.

"I know Star, but… You really think it's a good idea to break into a _police_ station of all things?" She kissed his cheek, silencing him on the spot. "…Well, we _did_ map the place out." Star playfully nodded, walking toward a vent. Tapping her chin, she took out her small wand. It was in the form of a magician's wand, but with an odd half-star in the center and it's body being completely purple. Spinning it around, it turned into a small staff. "Star, we should be a bit…" Star wacked the vent open, making it loudly thrash around through the duct. "…Quiet."

"It will be fiiine and…" Sirens went off in the distance, making the two groan in unison. "Okay, we gotta do this fast. Come on!" Star hopped inside the vent, making Marco sigh in worry.

"That crazy woman…" Marco snickered, jumping into the vent after her. The two landed after sliding for a few moments, in the main hallway of the police station. It was typical, guards mixing human-like beings and monsters were around every corner. The monster-like ones were on guard, while the human-like beings paced around in offices nearby. Marco looked at Star, making various hand signals. She made a silent giggle, just walking ahead. _'She knows the plan at least…'_ Marco followed in silence, the duo sneaking around the hallway. Sliding and leaning on walls, Star and Marco made knowing grins. Each took a different pathway, subduing the guards with skill built up over seemingly years of experience. While Marco explored one hallway, he found an open door. Slowly peaking inside, he noticed a letter on the desk nearby. Picking it up, he folded it up and put it in his vest.

* * *

Star meanwhile, was in deep thought, worry rattling within her mind. _'This needs to work. I… I have to find my families…'_ She froze her thoughts though, finding the room she was looking for. Leaning at the locked door, she intently listened to the seemingly rough voice on the other end.

"Yes boss, we found the book. No, we AREN'T giving it up to Toffee yet. While he's a respectful leader, we can't just give up evidence… This station refuses to accept bribes! Tell him we will discuss this later. Bye." Star heard a loud slam, likely from the speaker hanging up the phone. "This stupid Butterfly book is more trouble than it's worth. But as Mewni's first Monster Chief, I must carefully study this. Maybe…" Star slid down the door, feeling sadness overcome her.

"Mom…" She covered her chest, feeling some tears come down her face. "No, I will get my legacy back." Star got up and held up her wand. "Come on, all-seeing thingy, work for once." Star focused intently, with a sprinkle of magic escaping her wand. A very small vortex appeared, showing a frog-like monster, putting Star's desired book in a locked safe. She couldn't make out the combination outside of the last number '9'. The vortex vanished soon after, making Star silently groan. "Wish I could do more than parlor tricks with this stupid wand…" She waited until the cop was silent, noticing he left via the thickened window.

Marco slowly sneaked over to Star, tapping her shoulder. She punched him in the face, making him slide back. "Ow… Yesh, be more aware of your surroundings 'princess'. My face…" Star sighed in relief, giving Marco a sour look. "Sorry, okay?"

"It's fine." She said softly, lightly patting his cheek lovingly. They both smiled, before looking at the door before them. "I think the book is in there," Marco smirked, pulling out a mini-lock picker from his vest. "What would I do without you?"

"Likely kill someone with that wand of yours I guess." Marco teased, earning an eye roll from Star. Marco focused intently on the look, before hearing a loud 'click'. Star was going to open the door but put a hand on her shoulder. He gave a firm silent 'not yet'. Star nodded, seeing Marco take out a small camera, wire, and his phone. Using the tools to get a better look at the other side, he sighed in relief. "We can go in." Marco put all his tools away, but Star just looked at him lovingly and with appreciation.

' _You dork…'_ She smiled, pushing the door open. The two entered, seeing a very neat police office. Papers were piled together, various metals were hung up and one rusty safe was in the room's corner. Marco and Star rushed over to it, using their gloved hands to the object. Star took out her wand, hovering it over the door. She was shocked to see the magical tool have a faint pink glow from its center wand crystal, making the spell book literally bust through the safe. It collided into Marco, who groaned at the heavy object on his chest. "We did it!" Star cheered but a loud 'shush' from within the book surprised both her and Marco. It flung up, with a small blue man in a suit looking around in confusion. The most noticeable feature was his fractured crystal gem in his forehead. "G-Glossaryck?"

"So you remember me kid? Lovely but let's get out of here." He clapped his hands together, the book shrinking. Gloss glared at Marco, before growing an amused smirk. "Ah, so you are her 'prince'. Interesting."

"Oh knock it off," Star said in annoyance, picking up the now small book and placing it in her arms. Marco got toward the door, trying to see if anyone is coming. "I'm no princess, we are just lovely soul mates that stick out for each other, right Marco?"

"Yep," Marco answered with joy before his face turned serious again. "But you, blue dude. Helping us out here or what?" Glossaryck laughed, making Marco groan. "Of course not… Just stay quiet and let us do all the work."

Glossaryck smirked, coughing loudly. "OH GUARDS! THIEVES ARE IN THE STATION, PLEASE HELP ME!" He finished, but his bellowing voice made Star and Marco twitch. "Now, you two are ready to leave?"

"Why did you do that?!" Star and Marco hissed in unison, grabbing the blue man harshly as they jumped out the window. Glass shattered everywhere, with the duo freefalling. But they shared unfazed faces as if this happened all the time. Marco landed on his feet, catching Star gently within his arms. They shared thankful grins, rushing over to the van they parked around back. Before the cops could even say or catch them in the act, the van was gone.

The captain of the station rushed back into his office, seeing footprints and feeling magic particles in the air. Looking through the shattered glass, he narrowed his eyes, folding thick green arms together and letting out a deep sigh. "So the Butterfly finally strikes. I will catch her in the act."

He walks toward the busted safe, noticing a small card. Picking it up, it had a bright red moon in the center, with a black and white butterfly in the center. Putting the card on his desk, he started cleaning up the office.

* * *

Marco and Star drove across the quiet streets of Mewni, with the later shouting joyfully while holding up the magical book. She excitedly studied the book, lightly brushing her fingers over the tome. Marco looked at Star, feeling a content smile grace his face. "You are just going to look at it or what?" Star looked at Marco, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled in amusement. "Oh come on, we spent what, two months trying to get that thing?"

"For your information kid," Glossaryck popped out of the book and sat near the semi-busted music player. "That book is powerful stuff. There is a reason five of Mewni's most powerful families have a page from it." Star felt her blood turn cold, her normally pale complexion getting whiter. Marco sent a death glare at Glossaryck, nearly grabbing him, but refrained himself. He looked between the two, the joyful atmosphere now dark. "…You remember, don't you kid?" Glossaryck looked at Star, with the later taking a deep breath. Taking her gloves off, she opened the book, seeing nothing but tear marks a single lone page left.

"Mom…" She looked at the page, seeing a picture of a princess-like figure holding up her magical wand, which looked a lot more colorful than the one Star held in her hands. It had a crystal heart at its tip, something Star thought she saw before. But as she looked over the page, she noticed various formations and text. "To summon the warnicorn stamped, you must spin in place twice, thinking about the rush of speed that a warnicorn has. Once you aim your wand at your target, a storm of warnicorn's will charge into your foe you want defeated." She was going to close the book but noticed one part of the tome. Pealing some of its faded paper back, she saw five icons. Her eyes went wide, slamming the book shut. "MARCO!"

He slammed the breaks, feeling a panic fit coming over him. "What's wrong?!" They were now in the middle of a road, a good distance away from the city they were just in. He looked into her fierce blue eyes, feeling a resolve they both shared. "You… You know where _they_ are?"

"Yes, Marco." She clenched her fists, feeling the magic in her body flow at a rapid rate. Opened the book, showing one royal marking to Marco. His eyes narrowed, letting out a tired sigh. "Guess we are paying a visit to that _lovely_ ex of yours, aren't we?"

"Yep," Star answered, flashing a playful grin. "Guess what though?" Marco grinned back, both sharing a dark, almost thieving laugh. "We are going to play _him_ for once." Glossaryck looked at the two, feeling a smirk grace his face. The van rode off into the night.

* * *

After a few hours of driving, the three parked into a motel, using funds from their 'adventure' to get a bed to sleep in. Marco and Glossaryck were sleeping soundly, but Star sat outside, watching moon, seeing it tint a familiar red glow. She smiled, taking out the tome, which she asked Glossaryck to shrink down for her. After Marco helped her get new pages into the tired object, Star used a pen to start writing down somethings.

 _Hello, future kiddies! Name's Star Butterfly, wilder of the magic Butterfly Wand and powerful chick that will change the world! Me and my family are powerful spellcasters, doing great things for the land of Mewni for generations. But some jerk… Really did a number on our legacy. This book is going to be a bit messy but as the current… Uh, well, if things go well, you should be reading this. Anyway, I'm going to fix this mess._

 _Our family uses magic to help people and I will continue that legacy! My favorite spell, and the only one I could really add to this thingy is the 'Narwhal Blast'. Think of blue rays of light when holding the wand. And also puppies! Yeah, think of those when really happy. Just focus on being happy, let the Narwhal compel you and cut loose. That works for me!_

 _I hope this will be the first of many, many spells you will learn, future Butterfly. Make Mama proud!_

Star closed the book, putting it away in her pocket and smiling at the red moon shining down. "Marco and I will do this." She made a firm nod, walking back into her shared room with Marco. She jumped into bed, giving him a kiss on his forehead before closing her eyes. Marco didn't move an inch, giving her a loving smile and holding her tight.


	3. Date Night (Starco Week 4)

_**Hello everyone! I'm back with another one-shot! This week is special; I'm planning two specific ones releasing and each fits for Starco Week 4. The prompt this time out is 'Date Night', which is the name of this piece. Hope you all enjoy!**_

 _ **Guest - Why yeah, Starco is a hoot to write :). Glad you enjoyed!**_

 _ **SonicMax - Yep :). Some one-shots actually are going to get continuations but this is mainly a loosely themed test-bed of story concepts and ideas I have, just with the polish/care you get from my main works. And yes, cross-overs are absolutely on the table. In fact, I have two one-shots that continue off each other set within a very popular RPG series.**_

 _ **allen Vth - Thank you for the kind words! Some one-shots will get continuations, so let me know which ones you guys like the most. Either through PM's or just a review :).**_

 _ **Oracle6044 - Very likely to be the case and part of the reason I had that as the 'first' piece for this collection. Something to kick off the mood for a lot of these stories; Star and Marco really being close best friends and trying to talk things out with each other.**_

* * *

Marco was relaxing in his room on Mewni, playing with a 'magical' handball Star brought him from their latest trek to Quest Buy. Marco shivered as he caught the object in his hand, recalling how it transformed into a giant monster, which Star took down and bought after the sloths literally screamed 'GET OUT' to their faces. Marco snickered at the memory, seeing the blue object make a muffled scream. "Yeah yeah, sorry man, but Star got you for me… But why?" Marco set the ball down, with it rolling under his bed, making annoyed grunts. Marco rested on his pillow, feeling very 'confused' on Star's latest behavior around him.

For one thing, Marco noticed her flirting with him. _A lot_. To a point where even he felt weirded out by it, and he has a crush on her. Another thing was that every time Marco talked about Tom, Star shifted topic right away as if she was avoiding something. The final thing that set alarm bells in his head, was Star asking him to meet her in the castle ballroom, wearing the same outfit he donned during the Blood Moon Ball. _Something's up with her… I just don't GET what. I like the attention… A lot, but it's just confusing. She's dating Tom still. Right?_ Marco even asked her that question, but Star just said nothing. _Just like when I asked her about that when I got here and I got a resounding 'yep', feeling unsure until I saw them suck face at that lake. Ugh…_ Marco shook off the bitter memory and hopped out of bed. "Better see what Star wants… Hopefully nothing bad happens."

Marco walked over to his closet, opening the door and having an annoyed expression. He saw Glossaryck sleeping right on top of the outfit he was supposed to wear, cleaning his legs. _That's… That's not the thing I want to see when opening a door._ Marco shewed Gloss, the blue magic man rushing to his bed and curling into a huddled ball. Marco sighed, digging through his draw for a lint roller, cleaning out whatever mess Gloss made on his outfit. After a few minutes of cleaning it and putting the outfit on, Marco kicked his heels playfully, making a mock dance spin. _Oley!_ Marco paused, groaning at himself. _I'm so stupid… This isn't a date or anything. Star just wants help with Princess Duties or something._ Patting his cheeks, Marco walked to the door but stopped upon seeing Gloss sleeping. Smiling, Marco walked to his closet and took out a special blue blanket he liked. In reality, it was his squire cape but as Marco said to Star one time; it's just a dumb blanket.

* * *

Walking out of his room and slowly pacing down the stairs, Marco couldn't help but notice the paintings. They are always something he loved watching, as they inspired him to be the best squire possible. _As I sure as heck won't be anyone's prince charming._ Marco commented on his thoughts, resting hands within his dress pants. _Stop thinking like that! Those kings should be cool people… River is nice… Mostly._ Marco shook his head, but stopped walking, noticing a little note on the banister. Picking it up, Marco raised an eyebrow.

 _Tonight is going to be suuuuuuper fun. Keep walking and await adventure!_

 _\- S.B._

Marco blushed at the handwriting, it mirroring something out of a royal letter. _She really came far. Before it was literal scribbles on Earth._ Marco mused thoughtfully, letting a nostalgic smile grace his face. _At least I can be somewhat useful with her royal duties._ Marco smiled, keeping the expression as he took in the letter's oddly sweet sent. It seemed to be of flowers or honey after a second sniff. _Cut that out, you're creepy man._ Marco scolded, putting the letter neatly in his suit jacket.

Eventually, he made his way to the ballroom, seeing no one at all. It was a literally empty, the only signs of life being the dimly lit chandler, some rose peddles coming from the ceiling and Marco's own breathing. "Star? Uh… You called me down here. Is everything okay?" Some giggling was heard, Star slowly coming out of some shadows. Marco didn't notice her though, so he walked around worriedly. "This better not be some prank! I mean… Okay if it is, but this isn't really cool." Marco answered in annoyance, folding his arms. Silence lingered in the room. "Great… Guess she forgot about _her_ idea or something." Marco sighed and turned around, but froze up seeing Star.

* * *

"Boo." She said joyfully, making him leap in the air like a scared cat. Star busted into a laughing fit, her laughter calming down whatever annoyances Marco was feeling. As it died down, they just stared at each other, eyes never blinking once. "So you… Really listened to me about… The thing, huh?"

"Y-Yeah." Marco stammered, coughing to regain some dignity. "You look amazing…" Marco said dreamily, groaning at himself for letting his feelings slip into his words. _Great, just confess you love her already, idiot…_ Star giggled, leaning forward, now inches away from Marco's face. "Uh… Y-You okay?"

"Huh…" Star tapped her chin, almost thoughtfully. She grew a sly smirk, settling on an idea. "Okay!" She clapped her gloved hands, with Marco calming his mind down. He took in her appearance, surprised it was a _literal_ copy of her blood moon ball attire. Even down to the bunded hair and white boots. "Tonight, I want to do somethin'." Marco nodded, ready to help Star with anything. She noticed his focused expression, giggling. "Just calm down, ease up! This will be fun."

"Okay… So what's the plan for tonight? I mean… We are dressed up, so I assume this is getting ready for a ball or something?" Marco asked, rubbing his chin. Star tapped hers, mouthing a 'yep'. Marco sighed, rubbing his neck. "Shouldn't… I don't know, you do this with Tom? He is your boyfriend and stuff."

Star blinked at the comment, but still retained her smile. "Well… I wouldn't worry about that." Star said cryptically, but Marco felt nervous, looking around with worry. _If I get a fireball to the back, I'm blaming you._ Marco sighed. Star seemed to pick up on his worry, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Marco… I want to dance with you. My moves are a bit rusty and I'm sure my _partner_ will need some reminders. Been a while."

Marco blushed at memories of the blood moon ball, with the atmosphere and oddly enough, the slow music suddenly playing reminding him of that very night. The raw passion he and Star shared that moment forever bonded them together, though he never understood if that even really _meant_ anything, considering events past and present. Looking at her know though, seeing her held out a hand, Marco felt his mind fighting a war of logic. _She's with Tom still… But also wants to dance with me? Wait… If she's calling_ _ **me**_ _her partner that must mean…_ Marco let his love for Star win out, taking her hand and smiling.

"Well… You got yourself one of the best dancers of Mewni at your service, mi Princessa." Marco teased, gently pulling Star into his arms. She giggled, giving a sly smile herself. _Thank you, Mom for those dance lessons._ Marco silently thought, Star and him gliding across the red-stained royal floor, with pedals continuing to rain down. Star put her arms around Marco's broad shoulders, smiling in pure bliss.

She dipped back, with Marco carefully picking her back up. "My… For someone not too gung-ho about this, you are _really_ getting into dancing with me, Wild Man." Star teased, but to her surprise, was Marco smirking back. _I'm playing your game, Princess._ Marco gave a content smile, spinning her in place for a few seconds before pulling her close into his arms. She was now inches away from his confident face, heart marks fiercely blushing. "Y-You are doing really good. N-Nice job, buddy…" She stammered, feeling his presence shaking her very soul.

"You know…" Marco gently swayed back and forth, with Star mirroring him. "I'm thinking you called me here for another reason. Outside of training for this ball, of course." Marco asked confidently, with Star giving him a playful eye roll.

"Oh Marco, ever so _clever_ ," Star answered, pulling Marco into her arms. She took charge, spinning him around playfully. They entered a small laughing fit, the only thing they saw in the blur around them was each other. After they stopped spinning, they were close to each other once more. "Yeah, I had to share something…"

Marco bit his lip, wondering if he should say something himself. _If we are really dancing like this and my suspicions right…_ "Star… I have something to share too." She blinked, eyes dilating wide. _S-She knows? I didn't say anything…_ Marco shook the thought away, keeping his bravado. "Can I share first?"

"Weeeell… Normally squires let their knights do stuff first." Star poked his nose, playfully snickering. "I will make an exception this _one_ time though." Marco smiled, pulling Star into his arms, nearly hugging her. "M-Marco? Your heart is beating super-fast. You okay?"

"I… Ever since that Lava Lake trip a few months ago, I realized something important." Marco pushed Star back, so she meets him at eye level. "I… I love you. I know… You have your thing with Tom. Or _had_ it, considering how flirty you've been with me lately." Star puffed her cheeks out in annoyance, earning a laugh from Marco. "Hey, I'm not _that_ dense anymore."

"Okay, yeah. Tom and I broke up. Geez, I planned this whole thing so I could surprise you and make this grand speech but noooo, you have to be Mr. Smarty Pants and say my thing!" Star threw her hands in the air, making Marco laugh loudly. Star sighed, giving a loving smile to Marco. "I'm saying it anyway."

"Please, continue, my fair maiden." Marco bowed respectfully, making Star blush harder. Her marks were glowing brighter than any light in the room. They took each other's hands again, dancing in-sync to the music. The familiar melody got louder, as Star collected her racing thoughts.

"When you left Mewni… I felt really alone. It was like, part of my heart ran off. I really wanted to find something to sooth my heart, and Tom was that. But after Stump Day, I realized something was wrong." Marco felt Star's moves get slower, matching to her beat. She even nuzzled closer to Marco, her face resting within his shoulders. "I… I still felt that missing feeling. But whenever you helped me, I got that back. I was so confused… Until I pieced it together."

"You… Stil, like me?" Marco asked, feeling his breathing hitch. Star nodded slowly, biting her red lips. "So… This is really we are dancing tonight?" Star smiled, kissing Marco's cheek.

"Sorta, you big dummy." Marco smiled wide as if he won the lottery. Their movements got faster, as their hearts were far more in sync than ever before. The music seemingly got louder too, each footstep echoing through the ballroom. "I do have a ball thing coming up… And I want YOU to be my prince charming. I know you are a bit rough around the edges…"

"Uh… I'm called Safe Kid on Earth, Star." Marco refuted, having a small grin on his face. She rolled her eyes and dipped back. Marco slid his hand behind her back, catching her gently like a feather. "I should say that about you, considering how destructive you can get."

"Want me to make another rain cloud?" Star teased in a mock-threat, making Marco only kiss her cheek. She blinked at the warm sensation on her face, giving Marco a drunken smile. "Oh you know _just_ what to do. No wonder you charmed Jackie on Earth."

"And you, apparently," Marco said in a husky voice, pulling Star into a loving hug. "I won't hurt you again, I promise." Star hugged him back, ending their dance. A warm red light shined down, coating the new couple in its ruby glow. Both felt minds lighter, hearts warm and spirits lifted. Things felt _right_ again.


	4. Star & Marco Vs The Forces of Infinite

**_Hey guys. Next up in the collection, is my huge Sonic Forces X Star Vs cross over! I'm fusing the first two chapters into a grand one-shot, so hope you all enjoy :)_**

* * *

The humid airs of Mewni gusted in the breeze, carrying some odd colored leafs as Mewman guards integrated monsters and royals alike. Angered shouts, annoyed mumbles, and somber faces painted a troubling scene which started out with hopeful intentions. Looking at all of this from the distance, was Marco Diaz, a young man from Earth who rubbed his forehead in pure frustration. _'Of course, everything keeps going wrong. Why isn't this a surprise?'_ He looked in the direction of his best friend and crush, Princess Star Butterfly.

She was leaning on her boyfriend and demon prince Tom Lucitor, trying to comfort her after the night's events. "Sigh... Even if that's not me, at least he's making her feel better." He kicked a loose pebble, but it showed a glowing red stone. "Huh?" Marco bent down, picking up the odd object. It was faintly glowing, emitting a soft humming sound. "Reeks of trouble; better give this too…" He stopped his thoughts, seeing Star kiss Tom before rushing off somewhere. Marco clenched his fist holding the stone, unaware of its glow getting brighter. Shoving the object in his pocket, he just took a calming breath. Walking over to Tom, who was slouching in defeat, Marco sat down next to him.

"Hey…" Tom said dejected, both boy's looking at Star. They heard loud shouting from her end, nearly blasting one of the guards. "She's… Not taking this going bad well."

"No kidding spent months planning everything. I should know, helped out with a lot of behind the scenes stuff." Tom raised an eyebrow, earning a small smile from Marco. "Okay, you did a lot too. Lifting those sculptures and getting more funding for this was a huge help."

"Anything for Starship," Tom replied, folding his arms. "I'm worried about her though. Always working hard and never having fun anymore." Marco sighed, putting a hand on Tom's shoulder. "Don't' tell me…"

"Oh, I've noticed this too. And she really _is_ working herself ragged. But, Star wants to do to a lot for Mewni. We just… Gotta support her however we can man." Marco looked away from Tom, pondering a thought. "Look, if I've been a jerk lately… I'm sorry."

"What? No, you haven't…" Tom recalled a memory, folding his arms. "Yeah, where _did_ that come from." Marco ruffled up his brown hair, laughing bitterly to himself.

"Let's just say my head's a bit messed up since I got to Mewni. Lost a lot coming here and not sure where I even stand with Star at this point." Marco truthfully admitted. He took out the red stone from his pocket, spinning it around. "I don't know… It's like, I don't really belong anywhere anymore. Ever get that feeling?"

Tom nodded, lightly patting Marco's back. "I hear you, bro. Remember when Star dumped me a while back and… I felt so lost. I mean, things are looking up now, clearly." He laughed to himself, not noticing Marco's twitching eye. "But back then, I just stayed locked in my room all alone. Still coping with Jackie, aren't you?"

Marco rubbed his neck. "Something like that. But… You were the only one to ask about that. Thanks, man." He held out his fist. Tom pounded it and the two noticed Star marching back toward them. "Hey, Star. Holding up?"

Star plopped right between Tom and Marco, rubbing her tired forehead. "Marco… You know things went bad!" He just blinked, as if Star said something dumb. "Never mind… You guys ready to head back?"

"Yeah… My dad's likely worried." Tom jumped out of his seat, giving Star a kiss on her cheek. "Be careful Starship and… Things will look up." She waved goodbye, seeing him leave in a fire portal. Marco bit his tongue, trying to not show annoyance. Star looked at Marco, noticing the odd stone in his hand.

"Uh… What's that buddy?" Marco looked at Star, passing her the gem. "Some odd… Glowing rock, thingy." She spun it around, bit it and soon was going to blast it with her magic wand. Marco grabbed her wrist, having narrowed eyes. "I just want to see what this thing does. Stopped glowing when I touched it."

Marco took it back, its glow returning. "Guess I activated it somehow? Either way, not sure what this does. Maybe your Mom might know?" Star shrugged her shoulders, leaning her head on Marco. "Uh… What are you..."

"I'm… Really tired, Marco. It feels like everything I do is wrong." Marco gently rubbed Star's back, avoiding the goosebumps running down his own. "I mean, you've seen all the stuff I've been doing. Throwing sick monster parties, trying to connect Monsters and Mewmans and even sticking up for Eclipsa!" Marco remembered when first meeting the fabled 'Queen of Darkness' during Star's portal mess. He always thought she was an 'odd one'. Shaking off the thought, Star continued speaking. "I just hope something I plan works out for once."

"Well, you tried." Marco tilted her head toward him, having a bright smile. "Anyone would have just 'gave up' but you keep on fighting for what you want. You are a bit stubborn, but it's done a lot of good for you. Just know… Whatever you do, I have your back."

Star smiled, feeling the earnestly behind Marco's voice. _'That's what I like about you so much. Always knowing just want to… What? Like? I thought… Yesh, calm down girl, you are over him now. …Right?'_ She shook her head and elbowed Marco. "Thanks." Looking toward her left, she passed Marco a mug. "Got us some hot chocolate." Star shivered slightly, feeling the cool wind brush against her poufy princess dress. "Kinda chilly out."

Marco took the cup and slugged some down. "Thanks. Oh, here." Noticed the blanket from where Tom sat and passed it to Star. "I think Tom made it a bit toasty before he left." She giggled, throwing it around both of them. "Uh… I'm not cold though."

"Then why are _you_ shaking?" Marco noticed his hands shaking slightly, hiding them away quickly. He tried hiding a laugh but the two just smiled at one another.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another world, a yellow humanoid two-tailed fox was kicked back by a colorful robot. The ash-filled skies of the city surrounding him made the young one hiss in anger. "CAPTURE MILES PROWER; ORDERS UNDER…" The fox swiped his tails at fast speeds, smashing the robot into a pile of bolts. Jumping into the sky, he spun them around at such speeds, that he hovered in the air. Holding out his some odd weapon, he shot some flames ahead. Flying at fast speeds, he was able to keep the offensive, pushing back rows of mindless robots.

"To think, Eggman couldn't program these bots to be smarter." He mumbled, trying to crack a joke but it felt hollow. Ignoring the bile rising up in his chest, he continued fighting, unaware of a red wolf and yellow bear running alongside him.

"Tails, I was able to help save the people on the other side of Station Square." Tails looked at the red fox, who was wearing a blue beanie and held an odd green blaster. Giving his partner the thumbs up, he continued flying ahead. The yellow bear jumped back, charging up his odd yellow drill arm.

"Look out!" The bear shouted, dashing ahead through the incoming row of robots. Tails just smirked, impressed his prototype weapons were working. "Yeah! This sucker packs a punch." The three were going to celebrate the minor victory but some cries got their attention. "Oh no… Do you think…"

"I do." Tails said grimly, spinning his tails rapidly. "You three stay here and help anyone in danger. I got this." The group nodded nervously, seeing their co-leader fly away. Tails narrowly avoided the massive, towering 'Death Egg Robots' that patrolled the city streets. He stopped, seeing a figure he loathed with every fiber.

The figure before Tails wore an odd mask, only exposing one eye. Covering his body was black-like fur and a long bushy tail. The key feature of the figure was a glowing red stone. A stone Tails vividly remembered causing trouble years back during some mania with his buddy Sonic and Knuckles. Looking toward a nearby pillar, Tails hovered behind it, peaking at the figure with great interest.

"My, you are all such pests. Can _anyone_ put up a fight? Your great hero was unable to even crack a dent. Some blue savor he was…" Tails grit his teeth but took some breaths to keep his cool.

' _Can't break down again. I… I just recently got better after… Sonic's… No! I need to stay strong. He would want that.'_ Patting his cheeks, he resumed watching the figure.

"I shall end your suffering. And make it…" He held out his hand, ready to blast a stream of lasers and the passed out humanoid animals before him. But he stopped, feeling something 'off'. "What is that I feel? Some… Other Phantom Ruby activating? No… That cannot be."

' _Another ruby? Mmm…'_ Tails pondered, taking out his miles electric, a tablet-like a device, to do some research. Pressing some buttons on the screen, he noticed that another signal, though faint, was being picked up. _'Huh, he's right. I'm picking up another reading, just the same as Infinite's ruby.'_ Before Tails could continue digging for more info, he felt his blood turn cold. Looking behind him, was a smug Infinite folding his arms.

"It seems the fox turned into a little rat, spying on me." He leaned forward, hiding a cocky grin under his mask. "I always love having a fan or two. Tell me, want to join your brother?"

Tails punched Infinite but he dodged it like lighting. Flying into the air, he blasted a surge of flames from his blaster. "Take this!" He looked at the exhausted fallen ones. "You all! Get out, I will hold him off." They complied, running like a headless chicken. Infinite blasted Tails, knocking the weapon away from his hands. "You think I just have that?" He grinned, tapping his wrist. Releasing small whip of energy, he spun his wrist around, nearly at the same speeds as his copter tails.

Infinite blocked every attack but felt his posture worsen, as if the attack was hurting him. "Impressive, you've gotten better fox." He jumped back, touching the ruby on his chest. "But you know, I _am_ called Infinite for a reason." Tail's vision got covered in a red blur, unable to continue the offensive. He tripped over, harshly landing on the ground. "Mmm… Ready to accept defeat?"

"N-No…" Tails mumbled, pressing a button on his wrist. A loud _thud_ was heard, landing right before Infinite. "I… I got another weapon up my sleeve you jerk." He hovered into the blue and yellow mech walker, unleashing a wave of missiles and bullets. Infinite caught them all and was ready to send them back, but Tails was long gone, flying high in the sky.

"Smart kid. Knows when to leave a fight when outmatched." Infinite let the weapons explode, leaving a small trail of fire. "I need to find this second ruby though. If another has my power… My plans will fail." Infinite flies off, looking for the source of this new power.

* * *

Back in the land of Mewni, Star and Marco were back in the Castle. Both were getting ready for a good night's sleep, as, after the trying monster bash, both were beat. Star and Marco made their way toward their rooms, but Star stopped before hers. Marco notices her somewhat nervous body language. "Uh, you okay?"

"Yeah, totally totally." She bit her lip, looking at Marco's glowing hand. "I have a bad feeling about that rock thing." Marco passed it to Star, the glow stopping the moment it landed in her hand. "What should we do with it?"

"Like I said, we should tell your mom about it." He tapped his chin in thought. "Or Hekapoo?" Star frowned, earning a semi-annoyed glare from Marco. "We are surprisingly on good terms still after the whole sleep portal thing happened. She would help us if we ask."

"Okay, I guess. But I want to do some of our own 'research' into this thang." She darted into her room, hiding a loud 'boom' of pink smoke. Marco slowly opened her door, seeing Star in her narwhal dress and having a table before her. "We are going to blast ma wand at the thing and see what happens."

"That… Isn't the best of ideas." Marco said deadpanned. Star's annoyed expression said it all though, earning a groan from Marco. "Fine, here is the dumb rock." He tossed it at Star, walking toward his room. "Don't do _anything_ until I return. Want to take this suit off…" Marco was about to walk away but he felt a blast of white magic hit him. Looking at his arms, he was in casual clothing again. "So… Is that how you get dressed? Just poofing it on using magic?"

Star leaned forward teasingly, having a sly smile. "A lady never shares how she dresses, don't you know." Marco blushed at how close Star was to him, causing her to back off. "Your face is… All red man."

Marco patted his cheeks, throwing up a red hood. "Just… Test the thing already." Star shrugged her shoulders and aimed her wand at the stone. Blasting a wave of light at it, the object had no reaction. She continued blasting spells of all kinds but the stone continued to have no reaction. Marco rubbed his chin, taking Star's wand. She glared at him but noticed the wand change form. Having a dagger-like appearance now, Marco stood before the stone. "Okay, I know this is your wand but let me try something." He focused on the color red, thinking it might trigger a fire blast or something. A ray of light escaped the wand's center, reacting to the red ruby.

The object started rattling as if it would blow up. "You did it!" Star took her wand back, morphing back into its original form. She noticed the stone pulsate a purple and red ball, getting larger. "Uh… Is this another portal making the thing? Like your scissors?"

"I… I don't know." Marco slowly walked toward the rock, tapping it. It burst into a large vortex, slowly sucking everything into it. "WHAT!?" Marco tackled Star into her bed, trying to tie them down using the sheets. Star clung to her bedframe, unsure what was going on anymore. But her worried eyes felt safe with Marco's focused brown orbs. He rushed around the room, looking for anything to keep them in place. But soon the bed started rattling, getting sucked into the vortex.

"Marco! Just take my hand." Marco obliged, tightly grasping it. Star just let go of the bed and the duo flew into the portal. Both screamed in fear and excitement, only seeing a storm of purple now. It felt different compared to the portals they normally entered as if this one was a tunnel rather than a doorway.

Marco felt Star's grip on him loosen, getting his nerves jumping. "Star! Don't let go. I'm your lifeline, remember?" Star smiled, nodding in agreement. As she was trying to focus on something, a large object collided with them. Star and Marco drifted apart, landing into two very different sub-portals within the vortex. The red stone gave a faint blast toward the duo before landing in Marco's lap as he entered his own portal. Both closed, leaving the two knocked out in different locations.

* * *

"Orbot?" A shrill sounding yellow cube emitted, hovering around Star's unconscious body. "We got a new prisoner I think." Joining a loud sigh was a red robot slowly hovering toward his robotic 'brother' in arms. Seeing the passed out form of Star, he rubbed his chin.

"Well, how did you find her?" He noticed Star tightly holding the wand. Trying to pick up the object, Star sprang to life. "Seems she woke up. Hello Miss… What is your name?" Star felt her head, it being a jumbled mess as she recalled what happened before. Orbot had a worried look, gesturing Cubebot to say something.

"Uh… We got milk and cookies!" Orbot glared harshly, folding his arms. "What? I love cookies…"

"You doofus. She's likely an escapee. Need to get her back in a cell before the Doctor says something. He's been… A bit cranky lately." Cubebot nodded in agreement, hovering around Star.

"Yeah, always complaining about Sonic beating various mooks in the arena and not 'breaking down'. Sonic never stops talking though." Orbot gave a knowing look to Cubebot, earning a confused expression.

"Uh… Okay, I'm going to just… Back away." Star slowly moved back, but she felt her body oddly lighter than before. Looking at her arms and legs, she gasped. "What just…" Touching her head, she only felt sharp quills replacing her blond locks. "You two, give me some space, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Cubebot complied as Star magically conjured up a tall mirror. "Wow! Are you a magician? Make me a balloon animal!" Cubebot wanted to sigh but he just couldn't help but be in awe. Star studied her appearance and felt shock course through. She was a bit shorter, her attire didn't change much and the wand still maintained its form. But her pale skin now having a blond hue joined with quills on her back and head.

"I'm… Some animal now?! Okay, you two robo-dudes better explain this!" She violently aimed her wand at them, causing the two to gulp in fear. They all stopped upon hearing laughter from the distance. Star folded her arms, seeing a round but tall man walk up to her. "So, you the boss of this joint buster?"

"Why yes. And you are part of that resistance, I presume?" The man asked, having an air of playfulness. Star lowered her guard somewhat, having a small smile. "Name is Dr. Eggman, but I'm sure you are aware of my take over."

"Uh… I just _got_ here man. Some portal thing didn't work right." Star admitted, rubbing her quill-covered head. "I'm just going to go now, so…" Eggman held out his hand, stopping Star in her tracks.

"I think we should have proper introductions." His playful smile turned serious, some robotic guards surrounding Star. "I mean unless you want things to get messy." Star cracked her knuckles, leaping into the air. "Another one with the spin-jump?" He pressed a button on his wrist, creating a shield. But to his surprise, a narwhal crashed down. "Ow!" He stumbled over, glaring at Star. "Guards! Capture that hedgehog!"

Star ran off, summoning her pink Cloudly charm and blasting robots as if she was in a video game. _'This is weird, but fun! Hope I can find Marco here.'_ She looked at her surroundings, seeing blue and grey steel coating every wall. The atmosphere felt oppressive, getting her nerves jumpy. _'Reminds me of Saint O's when Heinous was in charge.'_ Star hopped off cloudly and started running down a cordor, hoping to find her best friend in this metal maze.

* * *

Marco felt a rush of wind fly past him, blinking awake slowly, trying to look around. He saw burning buildings, giant robots and embers of fire all over. "Where the heck…" Marco looked at him, realizing he's freefalling. "Oh, crud! What am I…" He crashed on a blue object, making it wobble around somewhat. "Ugh... Thanks for the save." Marco fixed his footing, seeing a humanoid fox having a baffled expression.

"This hasn't happened in a while." Tails joked. "Just hold on tight!" He made a barrel roll, avoiding incoming gunfire from a death egg robot, making Marco want to hurl. He groaned audibly, earning a snicker from Tails. "Not used to flying huh?"

"Just… Land this thing… Please…" Marco begged, feeling his lunch rising up. Tails nodded, finding a place to land the Tornado Mark II. Finding a wide city block to land, Marco rolled off the edge of the plane, kissing the ground beneath him. Tails walked up to him, folding his arms amused. "Thanks, man. I have motion sickness and it can be really bad sometimes."

"No problem uh… What is your name? Mine's Tails." Marco stood up, fixing his hoodie. He held out his hand, which Tails shook.

"My name is Marco Diaz. Not sure where I am, as me and my friend was looking into this thing." He showed Tails the ruby, earning a shocked expression. "From that face, this rock is quite important, huh?"

Tails swiped it quickly, but the glow was gone. "You… Activated it somehow? Mmm… You should hold on to this for now Marco." Tails tossed Marco the ruby, who put it away in his hoodie. "You know, as a dog, your combat skills are going to be super strong. But you likely know this already."

"Dog? I'm a human. You are the odd animal-fox thing." Marco answered but he finally looked at his hands and felt his newfound lighter weight. Pulling up his hoodie, he saw brown fur coating his once human arms. Tugging his ears, he felt floppy ones of a dog. Tails studied Marco, noticing him mumbling. "Of course, another monster arm-like incident. Maybe Star's magic caused this... Just great." Placing a warm hand on his shoulder, Marco snapping out of his annoyed thoughts. "Okay… Okay… That rock likely did this, right? _Right?_ "

Tails nodded, holding out his mile electric. "The phantom ruby can play with illusions, something I've been trying to figure out _how_ for a long, long time. But it seems to have affected you. Not from around here, are you?" Marco nodded, earning a 'Mmm' from Tails. "Well, I think I know what happened. Something about dimensional travel. Me and my brother…" He bit his lip thinking of Sonic, looking away. "We meet our 'past selves' during some odd incident a few years ago.

"I know my way around a portal or two." Marco held out his scissors, showing them to Tails. "Spent years earning these but Star and I travel across dimensions often. This quite the odd one though…" The thought of Star got him jumpy, grabbing Tails shoulders tight. "Star! You know where she is?"

"Uh… I know _of_ literal stars, though Eggman's take over makes it hard to see them at night." Marco's panicked face didn't go lost on Tails though. "Look, I don't know where your friend is but I lost a lot too. I… I understand."

"O-Okay." He took a deep breath, giving a small smile to Tails. "Sorry for panicking like that, just a bit protective of her is all." He nodded in understanding, hovering toward Marco. "But did something happen here to the city? It's all on fire and…" A loud _boom_ was heard in the distance, making Marco grit his teeth.

"Eggman…" Tails clenched his gloved fists, flying ahead. "You can fight, right Marco?" He nods, clenching his own fists into balls. Tails grinned, gesturing him to follow. They raced across the burning city, seeing the carnage in full force; water pumping out of a nearby fire hydrant, building rubble in their way, and faint embers coating the atmosphere. Marco felt such worry come over him, though a rush of excitement joined as well. Tails noticed the focused but semi-joyful expression emanating from Marco. _'I think we are going to get along just fine.'_ The fox thought, flying through an opening with ease.

Marco stopped moving, seeing a large loop in the distance. "Uh… I don't think I can make it through that by running." He noticed the loop end-point, focusing on that target. "Will meet up with you." Marco snapped his scissors in half, forming two daggers. Running at fast speeds, he cut a rift into space, hopping inside. Tails looked in pure awe, unaware of another portal opening up at the loops end. Marco landed gracefully, snapping the scissors in place. "You coming or what?"

Tails shook his head, flying through the large loop with grace as if he did this for many years. Flying next to Marco again, the duo made their way to the city center, seeing other humanoid animals being cornered by cold-lifeless steel robots. Marco charged ahead, landing a round-house kick on one of them. The others picked up on Marco's fighting form, unsure how to respond. One robot just marched forward, unleashing some blasts from its laser cannon. He rolled out of the way, using a sweeping kick to make it crash on the ground. The animals cheered in joy, feeling relieved.

"You are quite good at fighting, Marco." Tails used a tail swipe to send some robots back, while Marco landed another punch or two. "Your friend get you in trouble often?"

Marco released a small laugh, landing an aerial kick on another robot coming Tails' way. "You could say that. Star always pushes me to go on adventures." He landed a punch, right through a robot's chest, feeling a dark memory creep up on him. Looking at his right hand, he brushed the thought off, continuing the offensive. "Though some are more dangerous than others."

Tails picked up the dark tone of Marco's voice, simply nodding in response. "I hear you. Sonic… He always got me roped into all kinds of adventures. Helping free little aliens from an intergalactic theme park, flying him to the center of the Earth, and breaking him out of prison one time." Marco raised an eyebrow at this, before laughing at how silly that all sounded.

"Well dude, we got more jerks incoming." Robots seemingly fell from the sky, pinning Tails and Marco back to back. Taking out his scissors, Marco grinned. "Can you lift me into the sky? I have a plan." Tails nodded, revving up his two tails. Flying in the air and holding out one hand, Marco took it as his scissors transformed into a long sword. Everyone was surprised to see his cheeks grow crescent moons but didn't comment. "Now!" Tails flung Marco into the sky, who swung his blade into the ground. It created a small shockwave, sending the robots flying back.

"Wow… So you are skillful using swords?" Marco nodded at Tails questioning, readying his blade for another assault. Tails took out his blaster, tapping some buttons on the device. It changed its color from red to purple. "Let's do this!" Tails and Marco charged into battle, unknowing of Infinite watching from a rooftop.

' _That boy… Isn't from here. Feel rage in his heart, in addition to that ruby of his. This should be quite enjoyable.'_ Infinite snickered softly, sitting down on a stoop and watching his 'robots' fight Marco and Tails like mindless fodder. _'His ruby will be mine, but interested if he can tap into its power.'_

* * *

While Star is running away from various robots onboard the Death Egg, in the very same station was a blue hedgehog kickback in his prison cell. His green eyes were locked on a small golden ring, which he was playfully spinning on his gloved hands. While normally a smile graced his face, the blue hedgehog was frowning, quills and fur battered from Eggman's latest 'display of power'.

"Pift, why doesn't he make something new to fight? Trashing bucket head, knock-off knuckles and puddles is boring every other day." He stopped spinning the ring, tightly clenching it in anger. "I'm sick of being cooped up in this jail-house while my friends are fighting for their lives." He recalled a bitter memory, of watching his adoptive brother getting thrashed around by Infinite, while he was trying to fend off various former foes. The image of a battered Tails, lying lifeless on the ground filled Sonic with rage and sadness, emotions he's been feeling a lot for the past three months. "Tails… I will see you again little bro." Crushing the ring between within his fists, a faint blue glow radiated off him. "Let's see if this dummy ring can work like the real stuff." Sonic hopped off his hard bed, looking at the bars before him. Revving up into a spiked blue ball, he slowly removed the cuffs on his wrists and flung to the metal bars. Trying to buzz-saw his way through, he targeted a specific rusted point. Hearing a _snap_ , Sonic jumped out of his cell.

Looking behind him, he couldn't help but smirk. "I still got it. And I have enough juice. Maybe I should…" He heard stomping coming his way, side-stepping away from a red bull-like creature. His yellow eyes met green, as Sonic playfully entered battle stance. "Ah Zavok, pleasure seeing _you_ today. Ready for another _beat_ down? I got a knuckle sandwich with your name on it." A normally cocky tone from Sonic was harsh and bitter, something Zavok folded his arms at.

"I have no time to play with you _rat_ , got a prisoner on the loose." Just as the red beast started charging away, Sonic dashed to his side, holding a leg out. Zavok tripped over as Sonic jumped on his head using a spin-jump. Groaning in pain, he violently glared at Sonic, letting a puff of smoke escape his bitter face. "You _want_ me to harm you?"

"No. I want to kick your butt is all; payback for that lost hex incident and almost killing my friends might be cathartic." Sonic teased, wagging his finger. Zavok snapped his fingers, summoning a small swarm of robotic bees. "What? Going to sick those buzz-bombers on me? I can just…" Sonic jumped in the air, launching a serious of homing-strikes in his ball form at them, leaving a pile of metal scrap. "…clean up the trash like that."

"Oh, you have no idea what you just did rodent." Zavok jumped toward the center of the prison hall, where a giant buzz-bomber was in the center. Jumping on the creatures back, he ordered it to blast a laser at Sonic. He slyly avoided the incoming attack with a slide before rolling to the platform. But he heard some screams, coming from prisoners around him. Gritting his teeth, he looked toward Zavok, who had a wide grin. "So, blue hero, willing to let me off a few of your comrades?"

Sonic put on a confident smile, taking out one last dummy ring from his quills. "You know, I was really hoping to use this to crack some eggs." He crushed the ring, feeling another surge of energy rush through him. "But you had this coming for a while now hothead." Sonic revved up into a ball, charging into the giant buzz bomber. Sounds of laser fire echoed in the Death Egg Prison Hall, with Sonic rolling and quick-stepping away from the incoming fire with ease. He locked his eyes on Zavok, who had a focused expression. Noticing dents on the giant buzz-bomber holding him up, he smirked. "So, can't fight yourself? You always use buckets of bolts to fight _for_ you." Sonic rolled under a swarm of smaller buzz-bombers coming his way, jumping into the air.

"Stay still you pest!" Zavok screeched, pointing his hand at Sonic. Another swarm rained down, but Sonic only grinned. Letting a blue aura coat his fur, Sonic charged into the swarm in a rush of speed, jumping across each one like stepping stones. Zavok grit his teeth, holding up his fists like a boxer, blocking the incoming homing attacks from Sonic. Before Sonic could land the last one, Zavok jumped off, letting Sonic collide into the giant creature.

Sonic landed on the giant robot's head, rubbing his chin playfully. "Always wondered how Eggy's robots worked. I never really toyed with this. But, always a time for firsts." Sonic jumped into the air, burrowing into the robot. Oil and gears spilled into the sky, with Sonic landing right in the robot's center. Pressing random buttons inside the robot, he started spazzing out, shooting lasers in all directions. "Doesn't sound good. Okay, think…" Sonic found a red button, smashing it with his fist. The shooting stopped, showing Zavok standing still like a statue. Sonic pressed the screen before him, with a laser heading Zavok's way. "Hehe… Like a video game." He continued pressing the screen, with Zavok's large form slowly dodging each blast. But one hit his knee, making Sonic smirk joyfully. "My chance!" He curled into a ball and blasted out of the robot, jumping right on his foe's head.

Sonic cracked his knuckles and started unleashing a swarm of fast punches and kicks, which Zavok had issue blocking. "I'm not losing to you yet!" He swung his tail, knocking Sonic back a few feet. "I can do _more_ than order robots around." Some fire surrounded Zavok, making Sonic whistle in amusement.

"So let me guess; you can use fire powers? Bet you can't use them like my pal from another dimension." Sonic grinned, revving up a spin-dash. A storm of fire headed into Sonic's direction, with him rolling around, avoiding each blast. He crashed into Zavok, stopping the burning flames around him.

Zavok tried landing punches but Sonic used a leg swipe to knock him down. Jumping back, Sonic clenched his right hand, his body coating in a blue aura again. Zavok darkly laughed, letting himself get coated in flames. "Ready to get burned, blue rodent?"

"Playing with fire is never a good idea. How about you face a _cool_ breeze to blow it out!" Sonic and Zavok boosted into each other, a clash of flames and blue gales covering the battlefield.

* * *

(Recommend you play this track - YouTube: watch?v=D0SJcr2VMTA)

Deep in the halls of Eggman's death egg, Star was jogging down a corridor, blasting any incoming robots in sight. Leaning on a wall, she huffed from minor exhaustion. "Yesh, these guys don't let up. Even my best spells aren't making a dent in those Egg-robot-thingies." She wiped her head, looking at her new form once more. "So I'm a 'Hedgehog' now? Odd… Wonder if it's like my butterfly form." She focused, feeling a golden light coating her but oddly enough, no four arms sprouted. "I can still use it… But I'm not Mewman again. Huh…" She rubbed her chin as the golden glow vanished. "Marco has to be here." She started jogging again, hopping over large gaps and narrowing avoiding laser fire. "This place is crazy! How worse can…"

A large buzz-saw came down from the ceiling, which Star rolled under. She sighed in relief as the saw went elsewhere, but felt her quills get a bit sharper. Tapping her chin, she shrugged a thought and continued walking. After a few minutes of walking down a few hallways, she spotted a massive room, with it coated in blue metal and a large road at its end. Just as Star got ready to run, a booming voice echoed throughout the death egg.

"Attention all minions, we have an escapee on the loose. She is a short blond hedgehog holding a weapon of high power. Oh, and I know you can hear me… What is her name Orbot? You don't know! I have all my prisoners names registered in my computer. Humph! Never mind. I will give you one casual warning girl. Come back to the station's base quietly before I used deadly force." Star stopped walking, noticing the motor nearby.

"You tried killing me already, Egg-Person-Dude." Star narrowed her eyes. "I'm not giving up my 'weapon' for anything. How about you send stronger robots instead. Those guys were chumps." Eggman's eyebrow twitched, with Cubebot laughing in the background. "See, those guys get it. Hey Cube and Orb dudes!"

"Hello!" Cubebot waved from the monitor, but a harsh glare form Eggman silenced him. Orbot coughed and got Eggman's attention.

"She is right boss. Maybe you should…" Eggman slammed his keyboard, silencing Orbot as well. Glaring at Star, he pushed up his glasses and pressed a button. "Sending Metal Sonic on a prisoner? Isn't that overkill?"

"Enough!" He ignored his minions, having a boastful grin. "So you want a challenge? I will send you one of my greatest creations! Metal Sonic, take down the intruder." A loud _whoosh_ was heard over the PA speakers and Star noticed glowing purple eyes down the hallway she just came down. "Have fun!" The monitor's screen dimmed and Star noticed the purple glow get brighter.

"Oh boy…" She started running, feeling a rush of speed overcome her. Noticing a rail to her right, she jumped on it and started grinding across a pathway. Getting over a gap, she leaped towards the platform across from her, landing gracefully. A blue robot started rushing toward her, making Star enter battle stance. "Rainbow Whip Lash!" She aimed her wand at Metal Sonic, latching on to his speeding form. The robot didn't stop flying, rushing past her and dragging Star like a rag doll. Star grinned, as she stopped her boots into the ground, nearly slamming Metal Sonic into the ground. Jumping into the air, she launched a storm of Narwhals at the robot but he swatted them away like nothing. Metal charged into Star using a drill-dive, but she rolled out of the way. Noticing a gap in the wall, she slid into it, ending up on down a long metal road.

Star noticed large objects and metallic structures tower above her but ignored it, letting running feet carry her down the road. Feeling out of control, she latched her rainbow lasso on a railing, carefully drifting across a curve. Star smirked, feeling a nice rhythm during the run. She let go and pulled off the same move coming down another curve. She found a large ramp, rushing toward it and jumping across. Flying in the sky, she turned into her golden form, using it to rush past more hallways and corridors. Metal crashed through a wall, locking on to the speeding Star. His memory backs got confused, thinking of seeing Sonic for a moment. Rage overcame his circuits, bursting into purple static and charging ahead.

Star looked behind and saw Metal giving chase. "That guy is really fast. Maybe…" She smirked, aiming her wand at him. "Syrup Storm!" A wave of sticky syrup poured over Metal Sonic, clogging his circuits and slowing down. Star continued flying, unaware of an open door before her.

* * *

(Recommend you play this track - Youtube: watch?v=fB8tH7NTAFI)

Sonic and Zavok were in a heated punching bout, with both huffing from exustion. "Ready… To give up knock-off chuckles?" Sonic joked but coughed a bit. Zavok wiped his mouth, spitting out some blood.

"I… Never lose to you. Not when…" Sonic clenched his right fist, landing a punch directly into Zavok's face. He landed another. And another. He kept punching him, his green eyes glowing with rage.

"Come on? Not teasing about my friends dying? Or how I'm 'too' slow?" He saw Zavok kneeling on the ground, having lifeless eyes. "Come on! Say something you jerk!" Sonic landed another punch, making him fall down. Zavok's form fizzled out, evaporating in a glitch red mass. Cheers surrounded Sonic, but it didn't faze Sonic. "It… Wasn't the real thing. Hehe… All of this must be fake. Maybe I'm in that hole still, with Eggy laughing at me." Sonic fell to his knees, trying to prevent himself from breaking down. "N-No. I need to stay strong. I might…"

"That pile of bolts was super easy too…" Star was going to continue but was silenced by Sonic's face. The two rolled off the platform and fell down into a pit. Sonic blinked, looking at the baffled blond hedgehog before him. He noticed her golden wings, waving hello.

"Hey, name's Sonic. Uh… You can fly, right?" Star nodded, unsure what to say next. "Can you be a pal and… Lift me out of this jam? I don't want to face plant against the cold metal." Star looked below them, catching Sonic and the duo gently landing on the ground. "Thanks. So… What's your name?"

Star closed her eyes, golden glow gone. "Star Butterfly. Me and my buddy Marco got separated. Trying to find him but some egg jerk sent a blue robot after me." Sonic sighed, stretching tired legs and arms. "You know that robot dude?"

"Know him? I _fought_ the creep hundreds of times. Eggy still making Metal's; some genius he is. So you meet Eggface? Yeah, the guy kinda… Won for once." Sonic bit his tongue, feeling annoyed admitting this. "Anyway, we need to jet. The longer we hang here, the sooner Eggman will capture us."

"Sounds great! So…" Star and Sonic looked around, noticing the ceiling falling down. "This place is one death trap. Not my kind of fun." Sonic grinned, clenching his fist. A blue aura glowed around him and he held out a hand.

"Time to show you why I'm called 'The Blue Blur'. Just… Try to keep up." Star smirked, taking a deep breath. She let her golden glow return and blasted ahead. Sonic only shook his head and dashed after her. The duo dashed across, seeing an open doorway. Sonic and Star rushed outside, seeing literal space surround them. "Huh, so we are in space." Star covered her mouth, making Sonic laugh. "Oh calm down. We can breathe in space… Though Tails never explained _how_ that worked…" Sonic shook his head and landed on one of the many grind rails. Star followed after him, catching up with her fast flying speeds.

Star noticed some robots at the end of the rail, aiming her wand at them. A red wave of light struck them, sending them flying off the rails. "So, what's your deal bub?" Sonic snickered, switching to another rail and going through a loop.

"I'm the hero around these parts, but I lost recently. But I can still win the war. Just gotta head back home… If my home isn't wrecked enough that is." Sonic clenched his fist, jumping across various asteroids. "I never really failed before like this. The feeling…"

"Trust me, I get you Sonic," Star said in a serious tone. She barrel rolled away from incoming rocks and laser fire. Landing on the ground, her and Sonic made their way into a small hovel inside one of the spaceships. Sonic took a deep breath and calmed his own nerves, laughing nervously. Star sat across from him, curling up her knees. "In my home, I always messed up. Getting loved ones into trouble, my messes just causing more havoc and even my love life is a mess."

Sonic snickered, having a sly smile. "Let me guess, you have your own admirer that never leaves you alone?" Star sighed, shaking her head. "You _want_ an Amy? I mean… We are good friends but she always bothers me. I like to, go on adventures and never sit down, you know?"

"The guy I like… Uh, liked is my best friend. It is weird how we are now; feels like a wall is between us now. And he made that wall, not letting me climb over it." She looked up at Sonic, who just smiled. "Why are you so happy?"

"Just thinking of something. For all you know, that friend of yours likes you. But never trust me with romance advice." Sonic shivered. "The memories of that _**one**_ time still haunt me to this day." Star raised her finger to ask something. "I'm an open book buddy, but don't press me on that."

"Cool, cool…" Star peaked her head up, noticing the laser fire was cooling down. "You have any friends? You seem like a chill dude." Sonic snickered, folding his arms.

"I got my little bro Tails who always joins me on my many adventures, my pal Chuckles… But don't call him that. Him blowing up always gives me a laugh, but Knuckles really has your back in a pinch. Amy is a good friend too, though like I mentioned, she's a bit stalkerish. She has been toning down on that since I last saw her though." Sonic tapped his chin, thinking of something else. "Then there is my rival Mr. Ow the Edge, always having this sour mood but being a good sport during races. I always beat him though." Star giggled, earning laughter from Sonic. "What about you?"

"Well, I have my best pal Marco, who always has my back. Then there is Tom, my boyfriend who is a literal demon from hell." Sonic blinked in slight confusion before shaking his head. "I know, but he's a nice guy. Anyway, I'm also friends with Pony Head, who is suuuuper cool. She's the master of throwing parties."

"Sounds like some crew you have," Sonic smirked. "Hope to meet them one day." Star was going to continue but both heard the PA system going off.

"SONIC! HOW DID YOU GET…" Eggman coughed, composing himself. "Seems you escaped, my long-standing foe." Sonic was silent, green eyes narrowed at the monitor. "What? Not cracking your jokes and one-liners for once?"

"I'm getting my home back." Sonic hissed, picking up a small rock off the ground and revving up into a ball. He chucked it the monitor, smashing the screen into shattered shards of glass. Star looked at Sonic, seeing a lone tear come down his face. "I'm fine. We better get going, Star."

"Yeah…" Star got up and followed Sonic, the duo silent as they dashed down more corridors. Star noticed Sonic's more focused expression. _'That Egg-guy and Sonic have history, don't they? Must be like Mom and Toffee hating each other.'_ Star shoved the thought away, keeping focused on her goal. _'Can ask him about that later. Gotta find Marco before leaving here.'_

* * *

Eggman blinked at the monitor, seeing static. Orbot and Cubebot hovered toward him, each exchanging a worried look. Orbot coughed, not getting the attention from Eggman. "B-Boss? Sonic has… Never done that. He always jokes and is never serious. But… Did that ever happen before?"

"Yes." Eggman sat back down, laying back in his armchair. "Sonic never admits defeat, but when I get the upper hand, he 'changes'. The blue pest isn't a jolly idiot. He's a lot smarter than anyone gives him credit for." He tapped his fingers together, sighing at a memory. "Over the years, we always bested one another, so actually _winning_ in full for once is quite lovely. But Sonic, he isn't taking that fact well."

"Well boss, shouldn't you be happy?" Cubebot chirped, hovering around Eggman. "Sonic being down means you _really_ won!" Eggman laughed bitterly, confusing his minions.

"No, my annoying robot." Eggman pressed some buttons on the screen, showing Sonic fighting him on different occasions. "Whenever I pushed him to the brink, Sonic came back stronger." He tapped the screen, flicking through images. "When I shattered the world to pieces, he dashed across it in record speed to restore it. When I captured that little planet, he didn't crack a joke once. When Chaos flooded Station Squire, Sonic took on Perfect Chaos with a frown. And…" He swiped at the last screen, showing Sonic punching the ground with Eggman giving a supported pat on the back. "…When that fox got captured by the Deadly Six, Sonic was 'changed'. He took the situation completely seriously, despite myself having more at risk. I actually felt _sorry_ for the blue pest."

"I remember that," Orbot commented, rubbing his robotic chin. "So when his loved ones are in danger, Sonic is a lot more dangerous, correct?"

"That is correct." Eggman pressed a button, closing all the images. "So when I created Infinite, Sonic's capture was critical to my plans." He turned around, having a dark frown on his face. "Sonic landing back on Earth already signals my demise, even _though_ I have the upper hand still."

Orbot gulped, never seeing such a dark expression on Eggman's face. "Should… Should we summon Infinite?" Eggman shook his head, turning around and pressing a few keys. A video feed of Tails and Marco fighting various forces came up.

"I picked up an odd reading from Station Square, with Tails and that odd dog being the source. Infinite needs to deal with them first." Eggman let out a loud laugh. "I get the feeling our guest and that dog are going to be annoying pests."

"Aww… That girl was really nice! She made me a balloon animal." Cubebot shouted, taking out a balloon dog, which waved hello. Eggman felt his eyes twitch, groaning loudly.

"That girl has a power, something we could _really_ leverage if we got our hands on it. For now, I want my forces here to capture her and Sonic." Eggman pressed one more button, with an image of a wounded Metal Sonic twitching on the ground. Leaning into a microphone, he coughed a bit. "Minions! Collect and repair Metal Sonic."

Orbot and Cubebot just looked at Eggman, noticing his large grin spreading. Both gave each other a worried look before orbiting around their master, awaiting his next plan of action.

* * *

(Recommend you play this track - YouTube: watch?v=sQf6W9gzruk)

Within Station Square, loud shouts were yelled across the city streets. "Come on everyone! One group at a time!" Tails bellowed, with Marco helping various citizens leave the surrounding mess of burning oil and rusted metal. Leading them to a nearby building, Marco rushed toward Tail and chucked him his scissors. "Uh… I got my weapon but thanks, dude."

Marco waved his hands, pointing at the scissors. "No, make a rift to your base or whatever. It can help get a lot of people to safety at once." Tails nodded and made a cutting motion with the blades, thinking of Resistance HQ. Making a blue rift, he gasped at the portal. Marco smirked as he guided a family and other citizens into the portal, each leaving with thankful smiles.

After getting more citizens out of the city, Tails tossed the scissors back to Marco, who clenched them tightly. "That is some impressive technology. Mind if I study them later when things calm down?"

"These are my ticket home… Once I find Star. But you will be careful with them, right?" Tails gave a large grin, making Marco sigh. "I take that as a yes? Just don't break them." Tails nodded and hovered toward his Tornado plane. Marco studied the plane, noticing faded yellow tails and blue paint coating it. "I like the design of this, though I guess from… Things happening here, the paints all messed up."

Tails sighed, guesting Marco to hop inside. "Me and Sonic painted this a few years ago. Felt really nice…" Marco was going to sit down when both heard mocking laughter.

"Seems like the fox made friends with some mutt." Infinite hovered down, fix his mask as he folded his arms together. "And what have we here? Some 'hero' from another dimension?"

Marco's eyes grew wide, noticing the glowing gem on his chest. Gritting his teeth, he swung his scissors, turning them into a blade. " _You_ are the reason Star and I got here. Where is she?!" Marco made a swipe, sending a flaming gust of wind toward Infinite. He warped out of the way, standing right next to Marco. Before he could block the attack, Infinite kicked Marco, sending him flying. He stabbed his blade into the ground, gaining footing. "So… Playing dirty, huh?"

"Dirty? I'm not even using my _full_ power on you. Tell me, what is your name?" Infinite snapped his fingers, creating a red blade, glitching into existence and landing in his hand. "I prefer knowing my prey's name before fighting them." Marco held his blade with two hands, giving Tails a firm glare. The fox was frozen still but he saw a fire in Marco's eyes. Tails nodded, flying off with a worried look. Turing his attention toward Infinite, Marco made a playful smirk.

"I'm Marco Diaz from Earth, a warrior who spent sixteen years earning the cool sword you see in my hands right now. As a squire for the kingdom of Mewni, I will take you down _punk_." Marco dashed toward Infinite, making a wide swing. Infinite blocked it with ease, clashing his blade with Marco's. "So, seems you caused this mess here. Tell me, what is your deal?"

Infinite jumped back, sending a storm of cubes in Marco's direction. "Good question. I'm the best mercenary of Mobius, though I changed my… _Profession_ after some consideration." Marco rolled away from the cubes, jumping into the air and morphing his blade into two daggers. "Now, I'm going to change this world for the better." Marco made an X-Slash with his daggers, jumping into a portal and making Infinite have a surprised expression. "What?! You are just like…"

Marco hopped out of a portal, sending a flying kick toward Infinite. "Like what now? You have warping powers, so just leveling the playing field." Infinite made a groan, fixing his mask. "I don't want to fight you. Just tell me where Star is and I will leave you be." Marco put the daggers together, fixing his scissors and tucking them away.

"Starting a fight and wanting to back down? Coward." Infinite teased, walking toward Marco. "I don't know who this 'Star' person is, but you have something belonging to me." Marco touched the ruby in his hoodie, backing away slowly. "You _want_ its power? I'm deeply sorry but only _I_ can master the ruby's power."

Marco jumped back, tightly clenching the ruby within his right fist. A faint red glow covered him, but a dark expression was plastered over his face. "And what? Use it to burn more towns? Hurt more people? This gem can really help my new friend and I'm not giving this up without a fight."

Infinite closed his eyes, trying to connect to this other ruby. He saw a flood of memories as if his ruby was linked to the one Marco held. Opening them, he snickered. "Mmm… So you _really_ care about this Star person, I see." Marco's red glow only got stronger, rushing into Infinite at fast speeds. "It seems she powers your strength, drives your emotions, and clouds your thoughts. Why? When she is taken by another soul?"

Marco felt rage take over, landing a fury of punches and kicks, but Infinite blocked them all. "Shut up! You know _nothing_ about me you… What _are_ you anyway?" Marco jumped back, trying to calm his nerves.

"I'm a fox, but don't see how that is any of your concern," Infinite answered as if Marco asked a stupid question. "I think we should cut this little… Fight short." Marco calmed down, but still remained in battle stance. "We will clash again, but… I know you. Marco Diaz, you will soon learn about me as well. Let us have a fairer fight. I look forward to seeing you master that ruby." He hovered into the air and dashed away. Marco put the ruby in his hoodie, unsure what to even think.

"Star… She is in major trouble if that jerk is after her." He groaned, running off. "How the heck did he find out about me? And my… Feelings of all things?! Great…" Marco felt his speed get faster but ignored it under the stress clouding his mind and heart.


	5. Have a Merry Stumping Holiday!

_**Hello everyone! I got a holiday treat for you all; my take on Stump Day! This one-shot is joining the collection, so hope you enjoy :).  
**_

* * *

"Ow…" Marco grunts as he rolls out of a blue vortex, as a worried mariachi group comes out of the portal. "You guys go over there, I need to get more stuff." They just shrug their shoulders, unfazed at being in the castle. Marco was like a pinball, bouncing back and forth between Mewni & Earth to get supplies, as he wanted to surprise his best friend with a huge birthday party. In the corner of the room though, was a demon prince, sighing in some annoyance at the sight before him.

"Bro, you realize Star's going to be upset about this, right?" He asked seriously, seeing Marco jump on a chair and hanging up a banner. "What is that…? Some odd saying you are hanging up?" Marco hopped off the chair, wiping off some sweat.

"Happy Quinceanera Estrella," Marco answered casually, hopping in the open portal to pick up Star's rainbow-colored and flavored birthday cake. Hopping back out, Tom just blinked in confusion. "Sigh… Happy 15th Birthday Star. That's what it says Tom. You seriously don't know it's her birthday today?"

"Uh…" Tom rubbed his neck, earning a sour look from Marco. "Big whoop. I know _now_ , so can do something nice for her later." Marco just puts the cake down, folding his arms. "Don't start with me, Diaz."

"Same to you." Marco tossed streamers at Tom, who nearly dropped them. "Make yourself useful if you care." He started blowing up star-shaped balloons, uncaring of Tom's semi-glowing red eyes.

' _Calm down man, you know Marco isn't being a jerk on purpose. You know how much he cares about Star. Just… Deep Breaths, like Brian, told you.'_ Calming himself down, Tom uses his fire powers to help hang the streamers. Two figures jumped out of the open portal though, with one in a green stocking hat, slyly sliding over to Marco.

"Hey." Marco jumped in the air like a cat, entering combative stance. He only saw Janna though, sighing in annoyance. "Happy to see you too lover boy." Marco looked around, noticing Tom still putting streamers up. Glaring darkly at Janna, she only snickered. "Oh, ease up man. Just yanking your chain." She leaned on the nearby table, having a flirty smile. "I mean if you can't be with the princess…"

"Shut up." Marco spat, throwing up his hood. "Just… Glad to see you too. If you want to help, can you get the cupcakes and…" Janna took out a tray, with one cupcake missing. "…you ate one of them. Uh, thanks, I guess." He put it down, earning a mock bow from Janna. Marco noticed Starfan having bug eyes, studying her surroundings. "You never came to Mewni, huh Daron?"

"What? No, I'm Starfan!" Marco only sighed. "But you know my real name? Only told Star that…" Finishing getting the table set up, he gave a small smile.

"I mean, that's not your real name. If someone called me Mango all the time…" He glared at Janna, who just shot a grin back. "…I would be annoyed." Starfan elbowed Marco and gave a thankful smile.

"That's nice but call me Starfan! I can't wait to see Star again! Did Starco finally become canon?!" She was shaking Marco at this point, who just laughed nervously as he calmed her down.

"Uh, not sure what Starco even is," Marco answered, through part of him felt hurt at saying that. "But yeah, she's sleeping right now. This is a surprise so _don't_ wake her up yet." She nodded and started skipping around the room. Tom finally came down after putting up the streamers, throwing an arm around Marco. "Thanks for the help man."

"No problem, but you ARE aware of the Stump, right?" Marco waved his hand, earning a worried look from Tom.

"I did my homework and I don't buy that one bit. It sounds a lot like the 'Krampus' legend we have on Earth." He rubbed his chin, feeling some of his nerves grow cold. "We… We didn't do anything bad this year, right?"

Tom tapped his chin before his own nerves got jumpy. "Uh… Oh boy." He laughed nervously, tugging his festive holiday sweater. "Well, it's not real. So no worries, right?" Marco calmed down and put on a smile once more.

"Yeah… You are right man." Marco looked around, seeing his Earth friends all around him. But felt something missing. "You don't mind if…" Tom held up his hand, giving a knowing smile. "Thanks, will be back with Kelly and Pony in a few minutes." Marco made a rift into space and jumped inside it.

With Marco gone, Tom thought about something gnawing away at him. _'Does that guy like Star? I mean… She SAID they weren't a thing at the Silver Bell Ball but… The way he looks at her. How defensive he got before. How we haven't hung out like bros since he returned to Mewni…'_ Tom shook his head, patting his cheeks. _'No, Marco is still your friend man. Just, don't worry so much.'_ He started mingling with Janna and Starfan, helping out with other preparations.

* * *

Marco hopped out of a portal, being on some odd training grounds. Looking around confused, he sharply rolled across the snow-covered landscape. He heard a loud gasp, dropping the large bronze-sword on the ground. "Oh boy, nearly chopped your head off." The bushy haired girl held out her hand, which Marco took.

"Happy Stump Day, Kelly." They shared a friendly smile, soon following a fist bump. "Busted some heads, I presume?" She giggled, fixing her glasses. The duo walked around the training grounds, narrowly avoiding a snowball fight. "Seems a lot of the tikes here have good aim." A ball pegged Marco in the face, making him groan somewhat.

"Eh, gotta have good aim when fighting. So, this about Star's big birthday bash?" Marco nods, feeling a wide grin grow on his face. "Ah, thinking of winning her heart. Clever thinking man."

"What? NoNoNo!" Marco waved his hands, trying to hide a blushing face. Kelly just patted his back, giving an understanding expression. "I mean, she forgot my Birthday, so I know what it feels like. Hoping she enjoys the party. Even got Tom to help out setting things up."

"Nice work." She elbowed Marco, but her tone rang a bit hallow, something Marco raised an eyebrow at. "What? I'm fine. Just a bit tired of fighting and…"

"Marco's here?! What's up homey!?" A voice rang from Kelly's head, making Marco snicker. "We are going to have a rocking stump day dude. Still moping around about Star? Dude, just crush some pizza's already…" Kelly made a loud groan, folding her arms. "Look, Kells, I need a place to crash until I can…"

"Whatever… You _better_ leave soon, you hear?" She looks at Marco, having a dark grin. "Or I will sick Marco on you." Marco only sighed, looking at Tad's worried face.

"No… Fighting during the holidays, okay guys? But you _have_ to leave Kelly's head soon. She was really upset about things." Tad bit his lip, nodding in agreement. "Anyway, you two ready?" Marco made a rift into space, making a mock bow. Kelly rolled her eyes as she and Tad hopped inside the vortex, with Marco following them in next.

"B-Fly's celebrating her B-day, like, now?" Pony asked in confusion from her room in the 'improved' Saint O's. Marco rubbed his forehead at her shrill tone, but Kelly just snickered. "She isn't going to drop hot head over this, you dork."

"Why is everyone saying that?!" Marco shouted, folding his arms. "Look, trying to do a nice thing here. You in or not?" Pony Head scoffed at Marco's tone, looking at Kelly and Tad.

"You two, he has it baaaad. But I like draaaaaama, so I'm in." She hovered around Kelly and Tad, with the former giving a sympathetic smile to Marco. "Don't tell me you feel, like, bad for the turd."

"Well, I do. I get where he's coming from. Cause **some** jerks refuse to leave when they should." Tad just whistled, looking away. "Just ease up on him girl." Pony gave a sly smile. "Don't give me that look." Just as Pony was going to open her mouth, Marco made the portal.

"Just get in the portal. Have a gift for Star?" Marco asked Pony, who spat out a small box. He raised his finger to ask a question but dropped it. Everyone entered the portal but Pony and Marco, with the former blocking the gateway.

"Being real turd. Tell my girl the truth." Marco just pushed her away, hopping into the vortex. "Pift, loser doesn't want my, like, amazing advice? Dorks loss." She hovered after the group.

* * *

As the group of friends mingled, Marco slowly made his way over to Star's room calmly and quietly. _'She never mentioned her birthday… Ever, when on Earth. I hope pulling this party wasn't a bad call. But… Why AM I working hard on the party?'_ Marco stopped, being right in front of Star's door. _'I mean, I can't lie about my feelings; I do have a crush on Star. But… That just can't be the only reason I wanted to throw her a party. Maybe… So she doesn't feel the sadness I felt after that Lava Lake mess.'_ He shook his head, taking a deep breath. Knocking lightly on the door, he was surprised to see it gently push open. "Star?"

She was laying on her bed, still in her Santa outfit from hours earlier. Snoring loudly and drooling over her pillow, Marco couldn't help but chuckle. "No Marco, I won't eat the pig." He raised an eyebrow at her mumble. "Don't… Lave Mewni… I…" His eyes were wide at the comment, blinking a few times.

"Star? Having a nightmare?" He pulled up a wooden stool, seeing her flutter her eye open. A loud yawn escaped her lips, chapping them as she felt the pale Mewni moonlight shine down. "Your door was kinda opened and I wanted to ask you something."

"Is it morning?" She asked half-asleep, rubbing tired eyes. He shook his head, earning a somewhat confused look. "Oh… Can I sleep now please?" She crashed back down on the bed, closing her eyes. Marco groaned, poking her heart cheek. "Hey! I'm tired…"

"But I got a surprise for you." Star shot out of bed, having an excited expression. His heart melted seeing her wide smile. "It's in the dining room. I think you are really going to like it and…" Marco couldn't even finish, with Star throwing on her boots and dragging Marco out of the room with her. They rushed past a few floors, with them finding the dining room. Marco fell out of Star's grasp, grunting at the pains in his right arm. "…Happy birthday."

Star looked around, seeing her friends surrounded by presents and tons of sweets. She even heard Mexican music, recalling memories of the Diaz House during some of their parties. Helping Marco up, she just gave him a loving smile. "You… You did all this? For me?"

"Well… I had some help." He looked directly at Tom, who gave Marco a shocked expression. Marco gestured him to come over. "This guy helped put up the confetti and with planning stuff." Tom raised his finger but Marco shook his head. "We weren't the only ones that got this set up." He points toward everyone else, who gave joyful waves. "Have fun and enjoy yourself, Star."

She felt her heart melt seeing all this. _'No one ever remembers my birthday, but Marco throwing all this… That was super sweet of him.'_ Star rushed over to the cupcakes and put some in her mouth. "This stuff is so good!" She muffled, earning chuckles from Tom and Marco. The former joined Star and threw his arm around her. "Did you two burn anything getting this whole thang set up?"

"Nah," Marco answered, walking up to the couple. "Tom was eager to help once I told him about it." He rubbed his arm, looking around. "Uh… So we don't have to worry about a stump thing, right? I looked into it and found no solid proof of it being 'real'. Though that story your parents read earlier was cool."

Star coughed out her food and felt fear take over. "S-Stump?" She suddenly remembered _why_ her birthday is ignored every year, pulling her blond locks. "No… NoNoNo… We gotta take all this stuff down **now**!" She rushed over to the balloons and started popping them. Marco's eyes went wide and tried stopping her but she made a portal to send the mariachi band away to who-knows-where. "Marco, why did you do this?! We are all going to die now!"

Marco was surprised to see the fear in Star's eyes, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's only a story, Star. I don't do things without planning. I _looked_ into the Stump, as I did with a lot of Mewni customs you never told me about when I got here." Star felt relieved but noticed the last bit Marco said.

"I didn't tell you about anything?" Her voice was confused but somewhat harsh. "I told you a lot about Mewni." Marco bit his lip, throwing up his hood. "Seriously, I did." He sighed, folding his arms together.

"Uh, not really. I was confused on why everyone was so mad at me when I returned, so I dug into the local library here." Janna walked up to Marco, holding out a book of 'Mewni Legends and History', making him raise an eyebrow. "Wait a minute… I thought that was stolen?! I had to clean the library for three weeks because of losing that." Janna shrugged her shoulders and flipped through a few pages. She landed on one specific one, coughing to get everyone's attention. "What are you…"

"Just speaking the truth. The book says…" Started speaking in a more 'mocking tone'. "When the Mewni Princess picks her mate, they are respected across the land of Mewni by extension of her royal status. But their status of respect and social standing is _only_ hinging of their relationship to the princess. When the princess picks another mate, her past lover is shunned, losing the respect he gained across the land." She slammed the book shut. "That song day thing you spouted and dating demon boy over their lead to Marco being treated like crap." She walked off as if she didn't drop a bomb right on Star's lap.

"I… What?!" She hissed, glaring darkly at Marco. "You think everyone here was a jerk to you… Because I didn't _like_ you anymore?!" Marco started backing away, but stopped, clenching his fists into angered balls.

"No. What angered me, was how you never had my back until recently." He took a deep breath, silently cursing himself. "When I returned, it was on the idea of still having a place in your life. As your best friend. But you wanted me _gone_. I get it, I hurt you being with Jackie but I _always_ made time for you!" He threw his arms in the air, letting his tone get louder. "Looking for the spellbook, asking if you were okay after the concert, us trying to talk things out after Song Day. I always tried being a good friend when dating Jackie. But your response when Jackie broke up with me?" Star said nothing, just continuing her dark glare. "Just an 'Oh, that sucks'. And I didn't really find out about you and Tom UNTIL I saw you two being all lovey-dovey at Lava Lake." Marco clenched his fists, feeling his teeth grit together. "And what about just hours ago, huh? You were hugging and holding me like I was your boyfriend! Not to mention flirting with me after that whole sleep portal thing. Just... What do you want from me?!"

"Well excuse me! You expected me to lay out the welcome mat after you crushed my heart?!" Star shouted. "I was really hurt and I had to figure _something_ out how to move on. And I _**did**_. But you came back and I got all confused again!" She let out hot air, trying to calm down. "And, for the record, I always hug you and stuff like that. That isn't anything new and you _know that,_ Marco.

He took a deep breath out to calm down. _'She isn't wrong about the hugging thing. Again, picked up mixed messages. Stupid Marco, blaming Star for doing something that, is well, her.'_ Marco folded his arms and glared at Star. "Okay. But who was the one that pushed off the talk all those times?" Marco darkly asked, making Star simmer down. "You. You pushed the talk away. Like everything. You run away from your problems and... That's fine." He took a breath, trying to control the situation again. "I'm sorry for snapping. It's the holidays and we shouldn't even be fighting. And it's your dang birthday, so I'm being a real jerk now. Just… Just have fun, okay?" Marco started walking off, shoving hands within his hoodie. But he was stopped by an iron grip from Star.

"You like me, don't you." She ordered an answer, not asked. Everyone in the room was silent, but Janna and Starfan. The former was laughing and munching on popcorn, while the latter had engaged eyes. Kelly just marched between Star and Marco, pushing the former back.

"Just leave him alone." Kelly stood by Marco's side, rubbing his shaking back. "You have Tom now. Just… Let him have…" Marco held out his hand, silencing Kelly.

"You want an answer?" Marco asked softly, getting everyone's attention, including Tom. "Well, here you go. Yes, I DO like you. But clearly, you don't care." He just marched off, letting his rage push him onward. A loud door slam was heard, making a yellow star balloon pop. The room was deathly silent, with Star looking at everything once more.

"Dang girl. That was, like, heated." Pony Head tried to joke but it fell on deaf ears. Star just had watery eyes locked on the door Marco slammed shut. "…Girl? You need… To like, talk about anything?"

"N-No." She said with anger. "I'm going to enjoy this party." She marched over to the table, sitting down and taking a piece of cake. "I can be happy without him. I was all this time." She just ate the cake in angered sadness. Pony Head hovered toward her, joining Starfan and Janna sitting next to Star. Tom and Kelly looked at one another before walking toward the door.

* * *

Marco walked outside the castle, sitting on some steps. He shivered from the cold but his anger kept him warm. Watching the snow slowly dance in the air, he just blankly watched the dancing snowflakes. "It feels… Like all my memories of Star just keep hurting me. Everyone just thinks I'm okay with things… But I'm just, not. I can't deal with this stress all the time. Not when I am so dang confused." He hugged himself, letting some tears come down.

"I… I love Star." He admits aloud, looking at a snowflake. It lands on his hand and, for a moment, sees himself and Star dancing before the flake melts into liquid. "But… she stopped loving me back." Dropping his hand, he felt the cool wind blush against his shoulders.

"Fighting those battles… Across dimensions and against that lizard…" He closed his eyes, recalling bitter memories of Toffee and Ludo attacking them. "We made one heck of a team. But…" The wind blew faster, matching the frantic beating of his heart. He took off his hood, letting the cold overtake his senses.

"Is it even worth all this fighting? Living here with someone that just… Keeps hurting me, even if she doesn't mean too? I was such a jerk before, fighting like that." Marco bites his lip, feeling rage come over him. "I never fight with her like that. The only time it was _that_ bad, was over a stupid sandwich." He sighed, shoving his hands into red hoodie pockets.

"We used to be super close too, so I don't know why it got this way. It's just not... Right." Marco stood tall, clenching his fists feeling something take over. "I'm breaking this, anger and sadness. I'm not letting my feelings cloud my actions any longer." He let a small smile grace his face, feeling tense shoulders finally relax.

The blue and white Mewni skies had a brighter sheen, a small red orb trying to come through the storm happening right now. "I have clarity, I don't need to scream my emotions anymore." He flexed his knuckles and felt a wide grin dance across his face.

Marco heard mock clapping behind him, turning around seeing Tom fold his arms, leaning on the wall. _'Damn… Marco really has a tight lid on his heart. Must have felt good venting all that.'_ He got off the wall, giving Marco a small grin.

Joining him was Kelly, who just tackled Marco into a hug. "Look, it's okay to like someone that doesn't feel the same way. It's… A feeling that is horrible. But you deal with it over time." She tightened her hug, trying to share her warmth. Marco rubbed her back, feeling her soft green hair calm his nerves.

Tom came up, putting a hand on Marco's shoulder. "Dude… I didn't know you felt that way about Starship. I… I would have thought twice before…" Marco let go of Kelly and looked directly into Tom's face. "I'm sorry, Marco."

"I'm… I'm not okay with how all this played out. But… I _am_ happy you two are together. Just seeing her happy at Lava Lake made whatever heartache I felt worth it. It hurts, man it does. But you are happy too, right?" Marco asked brightly but Tom heard the cracks in his voice.

"Yeah… But not happy with my bro being so broken up about this." He patted Marco's shoulders, taking a deep breath. "I think you and Star need to talk about this some more. She's… Really upset inside."

Marco felt the cold Mewni snow coat himself, feeling frown grow on his face. "But… This is Star's birthday. She should have a nice time, not have a stupid fight." He sighed, throwing up his hood. "It's freezing out here…"

"Eh, don't feel a thing," Tom comments, earning a chuckle from Marco. "Say I'm a demon and you will get a fireball to the face, man."

"Well, Marco IS right." Kelly's hair talks, with Tad jumping off and sitting on Marco's head. "He's kinda donked it all up in there. Stop being the pro of being miserable, man." Kelly rubbed her head, feeling something on top of it. It was a letter and check. "Yeah, figured out where to go now. Kells', sorry for being a pest. We can both move on now."

She smiled, giving Tad a warm smile. "Thanks… So I didn't have to sick Marco on you after all." Marco just laughed at the comment, with Tom and Tad joining him.

"You know what? I feel better guys. Thanks." He gave a heartfelt smile, which Tom and Kelly shot back. The four went back inside, unaware of seeing a large tree stump slowly moving away from the castle gate.

* * *

Star sighed, eating some colorful cupcakes across from her. "Uh… You are going to get sick eating that much." Janna comments, munching on a cupcake herself. "This is good stuff. The filling is sweet."

"Yeah… It tastes great." She frowned, putting her food down. "Why did we fight like that?! I mean… Things have been tense between us the past few weeks, but we never fought like that before…" Pony Head scoffed, earning a raised eyebrow from Star.

"Girl. You were, like, too messed up on that boy. But you could still be like, in love with him." Pony Head hovered around Star in orbit. "You were just, waaaay too weird." Star folded her arms, puffing her cheeks.

"You told me to throw his hoodie out! I mean…" Star noticed the blank expressions from her friends, sighing in defeat. "I don't know anymore. I… I just want things normal again." Janna patted Star's back, giving a smirk.

"When Marco wants something, the dork fights for it." Janna gets up and walks toward a large stump. "Uh, what's this thing? Seems sick and spooky." Star and Pony Head went toward her, surrounding the stump. Janna tried touching it but Star slapped her hand away.

"Don't touch that! It's the all mighty stump. When you anger it, _oh_ things go BAD. That's why my family never celebrates my birthday on its date." She glared at the stump, folding her arms. "That guy is such a jerk. Making me miss ma B-Day."

"So why were you so pissed at Marco then?" Janna asks seriously, earning a confused look from Star. "Okay, _outside_ of the teen drama show." Star raised her finger but was cut off by Pony Head.

"That's some freaky wood thing, girl. B-Fly hates it." Star waved her hands to quiet Pony Head but she continued speaking. "Yo! Stump turd. Get the horn." She shot some light magic at the object, sending it flying. Star screamed in panic, rushing to catch the stump before it collided with the fireplace. She cast a pink bubble around it and placed the stump neatly in a corner.

"You two. Don't. Touch. It." Star ordered, having a stern expression. Janna just shrugged her shoulders and started wandering around. Pony Head just hovered around Star, making a sassy 'mhmm' sound. "Pony? What are you…"

"Girl, we are like, kicking the crud out of that wood. Let's punch it!" Star just laughed, hugging Pony Head. She just nuzzled her mane into Star's shoulders. "Girl… I'm sorry for like, not being there 100% for your love life. My advice is normally totes fire." Star just smiled, hugging her tighter.

"It's cool." They let go and see a group come back into the room. Star stands up, fixing her outfit somewhat and standing upright. Marco slowly picks his head up as he enters, seeing Star have a weak smile.

Marco felt his chest tighten, as he got closer to Star. _'This shouldn't be so hard, she's your best friend man. Just… Say sorry for being a jerk.'_ After what felt like hours, which was only a few seconds, the two meet face to face. He opened his mouth but nothing came out, just sighing and locking his eyes on snow-covered feet.

Star felt similar, looking around hoping for some answer. _'Come on! Yeah, things are confused but just talk to him.'_ She just bounced in place somewhat, having a girly expression. "Hey, Marco! Uh… I'm not mad at you."

"R-Really?" Marco asked dumbfounded. "I… I yelled at you. Made things… Weird with our friendship now. I'm sorry…" Star just sighed, hugging Marco tight. He hugged back unsurely, feeling tense.

"Look buddy. I kinda did the same thing when you were with Jackie." Star admitted, biting her lip. "I… I'm not sure how I feel right now, about… You." She let go and looked right into Marco's eyes, feeling sadness and longing within them. "We both have a lot to sort out, so for now…"

"I… I get it," Marco said deflated, putting on a weak smile. "Just glad we are still friends and stuff." He held out his fist, which Star shook. "Did you… Uh, enjoy the cake and stuff? Not good at baking, so got the Princesses at Saint O's to help me make it. The cupcakes I actually tried making myself. Hope they turned out okay." Star just smiled, feeling the earnestly emanating from Marco.

"Why don't you try them yourself?" Star took Marco's arm and dragged him to the table. She practically shoved a piece of cake into Marco's mouth, making the duo enter a laughing fit. Tom and Kelly watched from the distance, feeling some joy coming from them. The former though bit his lip, sighing about a thought.

' _So… Starship and I are going to run short, huh? Well… Let's see how things play out. At least Marco fessed up and they can be okay now.'_ Kelly gave him a sympathetic look, patting his shoulder. He smiled back and the two meet up with Star & Marco.

* * *

After stuffing their faces with sweets for a good five minutes, Star and Marco were smiling brightly at their friends. Everyone sitting around the table, Marco felt something in his pocket ring. "Oh, another surprise got ready!" Marco shouted with excitement, taking out his scissors. "Tom, you do the thing we talked about." The two friends shared a knowing smirk as Marco hopped in a blue vortex.

"So…" Tom snapped his fingers, making a small fireball appear in his hand. "I got fireworks, primed and ready." Star raised an eyebrow, making Tom snicker. "It's nothing like you've seen before Starship. Now…" He let his inner rage take over, chucking the fireball into the air. It morphed into a bright yellow star, slowly blowing up into smaller stars of various colors. Reds, blues, whites, purples; colors brightly shined over the table as Star looked in pure awe. Janna couldn't help but smirk at the demon though, feeling her own heart beat a bit faster.

The stars slowly fizzled out, but one, with Tom throwing another fireball at it. It morphed into a bright red heart, which split into two pieces as it vanished after growing quite large. Tom hovered back down, panting somewhat after using the magic. "Wow…" Star and Janna said in unison. Kelly just smiled, recalling something similar from the SoulRise happening. Tad and Starfan were just shouting at how 'cool' and 'sick' it looked.

A blue vortex appeared, with Marco coming out with five pizza boxes, a tray of nachos and a small box. Placing everything but the rainbow packaged box on the table, he patted Tom's back. "Great work bro." He passed Tom a soda, which he chugged down quick. "Hope that gets some magic back. Right brand from the underworld, right?"

Tom whipped his mouth. "Yeah, that took a bit out of me." He and Marco noticed Star's bright smile, both feeling their hearts warm up. "Knew you would love it." Star blinked a few times, snapping out of her trance. She looked at the table, smelling cheesy pizza and nacho spices.

"Nachos and Pizza?! Marco…" She just gave a knowing smile, which Marco just shrugged at. He passed some festive plates around the table, with everyone getting the pizza of their choosing. "Super late to eat this, but thanks!"

"Went to my favorite joint?" Tad asked as he took a slice, which Marco nodded at. "Good choice. Best pizza in the business."

"Better than fighting that pizza place again." Pony Head and Marco shared a scared look, shaking their heads in unison. Taking a slice, Marco took a bite. "Got the game ready Pony?" She made sly smile, spitting out a cube. "We are _not_ playing that game again." She sighed, blasting the cube into the fireplace. "Sorry but that caused a lot of trouble last time."

"To in control turd. This wild girl loooves some chaos." Janna just grinned at Pony's comment, with Kelly and Star laughing. "How about, like, we praise the stump and crud." Star clapped her hands, using her magic to bring the stump over to them.

"Yeah! We can celebrate my birthday _without_ the stump killing us. Why didn't I ever think of that…" Star pondered aloud. Marco just laughed, taking a slice of cake and sitting in front of the stump. "Uh… What are you doing?"

"Well, paying my respects. Read a Mewni history book about this." He coughed, kneeling down and placing a piece of cake near the stump. "Hey, stump dude. Uh… The past few months have been kind of rough for me, but I want to be a better person. I… Did a lot of things wrong with the people I care about. And if you are a _real monster_ like the books said, likely would be dead or something now." He made a nervous laugh, with only the cold winds hitting closed windows. "Look, I promise to be a better friend. To everyone, I care about. Please watch over Star and everyone here, they all believe in you, even if we kinda not saying it aloud." Star just walked over to Marco, kneeling right next to him. "Also, please let Star have her birthday. It sucks having people forget your big day. It sucked when it happened to me recently and…"

"Wait, what?" Star interrupted, looking right into Marco's eyes. "I didn't forget your birthday, that's not for a few weeks." Marco rubbed his arm. "I… I forgot it? And you still…"

"I mean, you sort of know _why_ now." Marco nervously laughed, earning a weak smile from Star. "It's not a huge deal at all. I was just saying it to Stump over…" Marco pointed to the stump but noticed it was gone. Loud crackles were heard, making Marco and Star snap their necks over to Janna and Pony Head. They were hovering near the stump, now burning in the fireplace. "What are you doing?!"

"Just making you shut up. Yesh, get a room you two." Janna blurted out, holding out her hands and rubbing them to stay warm. "Ah, nice and toasty fire." Pony Head nodded in agreement, sighing with relief.

"Yeah B-Fly, it's like, freezing in here." Tom jumped out of his chair, alongside Kelly, Tad, and Starfan. They marched over and glared harshly at the two. "What?"

" **If you all were so cold, I could have used my fire powers! Now that thing is on fire and we are going to be screwed!** " Tom shouted in rage. Marco and Star rushed over, with the later using magic to pull the stump out. But it turned into a pile of ash. The lights in the room instantly turned off, with only Star's wand and Tom's flames emitting any form of light.

* * *

They all heard loud snapping, with roots erupting from the ground. A large stump barged through the door, having carvings of internals oozing orange blood. Large vines soon grabbed Janna, Starfan and Pony Head. While Janna was oddly relaxed, the other two started squirming with panic.

Marco gritted his teeth and pulled out his dimensional scissors. _'Please work… Please work…'_ The small blade formed into a large sword, which Marco held with both hands. Star and Tom gazed in awe, but Kelly simply smirked. _'Yes! Now, let's try something…'_ He focused on his inner magic, letting thoughts of Star cloud his mind. Flames slowly coated the blade, making a wide grin form on Marco's face. "Okay guys, I will focus on cutting some of the roots. Star, use magic to keep the Stump busy. Tom, protect Star from the stump's attacks. And Kelly, work on cutting everyone free."

"Who made _you_ the leader here?" Pony Head asked in-between wheezing from Stump's iron-clad grip. Marco just charged ahead, cutting some of the roots. The stump hissed in pain, making Marco smile.

"Since I became Star's squire. Go! Go! Go!" Marco continued slashing away at the roots, skillfully avoiding swipes and jabs from the Stump's assault. Star focused on trying all kinds of spells but for some reason, her more useful ones weren't working. Groaning in annoyance, she tucked her wand away and turned into her golden form, blasting some rays of light at the stump.

Tom hovered right next to Star, shooting streams of hot flames at the stump. "You can turn into a golden bug?!" Star dodged a few blows from the stump, landing another round of blasts. She smirked at Tom, giving him a small jab in the arm.

" **I will explain later.** " Her voice was in a deeper pitch, alarming Tom somewhat. He shook it off and continued shooting the flames but a swipe from a branch knocked him down. Before the stump could grab him, Kelly made a skillful slash with her blade. " **Nice one girl!** "

Kelly gave a thumbs up and rushed up to Marco. He crouched down, letting Kelly land on his back before giving her a boost. "AHHH!" She shouts while making a horizontal slash, freeing everyone from the stump's grasp. Star catches them with ease, helping them down. Everyone takes a breather for a second before rushing behind a table.

"Good going Marco, the things just more mad at us now," Janna complained, pointing to more roots and branches coating the room. He gave a knowing glare, which Janna didn't even get phased with. "Hey, I was cold. Didn't think that stub would attack us."

"We told you about that though!" Star shouted. "Ugh… Well, what do we do, Marco?" Tom blinked at her mentioning his name, looking at him intently. Marco rubbed his chin, trying to think of a plan.

' _The stump seems to have regeneration powers, so us mindlessly attacking is pointless. Mmm… I remember reading about how it likes blood offerings.'_ Marco sighed, reaching over and grabbing a cup from the table. _'This better work…'_ He reverted his scissors into a normal dagger-like form, making a light stab in his arm.

"MARCO! What are you doing?! You are going to…" Marco didn't even look up, letting the blood drip into the cup. After one minute of letting the pain radiate through his body, the cup was filled halfway. Ripping off a sleeve of his hoodie, Marco tired it around the bleeding arm.

"You heal me later, okay?" Marco didn't look up, but his voice was calm and collected. Star nodded, only focusing on him. He jumped over the table and as the stump launched another round of attacks, Marco held out the cup. It stopped, inches away from his face. "Hey, uh… Sorry for attacking you. Like blood offerings, right?" He placed the cup down gently, with a root slowly sucking the cup dry. Marco painted, falling to his knees. "You leaving now? Gave you what you want."

The stump vanished out of thin air, the lights returning around the room. Marco felt a small smile grace his face before he passed out cold, only sounds of Star, Kelly, and Tom rushing to his side ringing loudly.

* * *

Star felt everything spinning, seeing Marco passed out cold on the ground. "No... You aren't leaving me like that you dumb jerk! Throwing me a party and dying on me is _not_ a present I want." She focused on various healing spells but nothing seemed to be working, Marco's wound still oozing blood. Tom put a hand on Star's shoulder, having a knowing look. She backed away and he cracked his fingers. Holding out both hands, Tom made demonic chants as his eyes turned a shade of pure red. Red and White fire slowly covered Marco's wound, ending the bleeding. "Wow... How did you do that?"

Tom took a deep breath, feeling winded from using such intense magic. "A... Demonic healing spell, have to let go of one my inner 'demons' to cast it. Got a lot of the little guys inside me, so that didn't..." He fell to his knee, coughing a bit. "Yeah, packs a punch." Star just gave a somber smile to Tom, kissing his cheek. "Thanks, Starship. But keep focusing on this." He put his thumb on Star's head, flowing some of his own magic into her. "This is a weaker version of my spell. So, use it on Diaz until he wakes up."

"Why are you, like helping?" Pony Head spoke, hovering around Marco and throwing a blanket over him. "Turd cut himself to like, save us all." Tom raised an eyebrow as if he answered her question already. "But he might take your girl." Star huffed hot air, ready to shout at Pony but Tom simply held up his hand.

"Marco is my friend. Whatever happens, well, happens." He glares at Marco, lightly punching his healthy arm. "But this jerk _better_ not hurt himself like that again. People care about him." Tom got up, getting supported by Kelly and Janna. "Thanks guys. Can you guide me to the pizzas? Starving here."

"Sure thing hot stuff." Janna slyly comments, the two exchanging a joyful smile. As they walked off to get some food, Kelly and Starfan just sat next to Star, offering their support. Tad even hopped off Kelly's head, giving Marco a weak smile. The group stayed together and made casual conversation, until Kelly pulled Star aside, having a serious expression.

"Um... What are you going to do, about, well..." She rubbed her neck, causing Star to look away. "I get it, his confession before was a huge bomb. But you can't just shoot him down. Not when he's trying so hard to help you." Star just folded her arms, glaring back.

"You think I would reject my bestie?" Star asks, with Kelly nodding. "W-Why? I made things odd between us since Song Day. And... Well, he's right. I always wanted to avoid the talk. But I ran into Tom's arms so easily..." She sighed, playing with the ball on her Santa hat. "What do you think I should do here, Kelly?"

Kelly just gave a smile, putting a hand on Star's shoulder. "Just let things play out. But promise me this; don't hurt him again." She let go, having a more playful expression. "While his heart belongs to you fully, doesn't mean others don't want him." She walked off, fixing her glasses. Star just pondered her friend's comments, letting a smile grace her own face.

"I know what to do." She walked after Kelly and resumed watching over Marco, using the spell Tom taught her. Her thoughts were only focused on Marco, unaware of both her own heart marks glowing and Marco's face forming a content smile.

* * *

Marco felt light-headed, slowly opening his eyes. Looking around, he was still in the party room, but just with Star watching him. "Star? What…" He winced at the pain, seeing a deep stain on his right arm. "Oh, that." She didn't even look in his eyes, focusing her magic on the wound.

"That was dumb. And stupid. But mostly dumb. Why?" Star asked harshly, the tone striking Marco's heart. "You could have died, stabbing yourself like that." He tried to sit up but Star pinned him down. "Oh, you aren't getting up yet buster."

"Because… That was the only way to please the stump, to help it leave." Star frowned, having somber blue eyes. "Sorry, your birthday was filled with drama and violence… Though normally adventures pan out better."

"Yeah…" Star released weak laugh. "Don't harm yourself like that again, you hear me?" Marco nodded, trying to get up now. Star released her grip on Marco, noticing his arm stop bleeding. "Looks like the healing spell worked."

"Well, it's a demonic healing one." Tom threw his arm around Marco, helping him up. "Used it when Diaz here chopped my hand clean off." He rolled up his sleeve, showing the scars.

"Still never going to live me down on that, huh?" Marco joked, earning a laugh from Tom. Looking around, he noticed Janna and Starfan gone. "Uh… Where did they go?"

"After Mom checked everyone, she made portals for everyone to head home. You've been sleeping for the past few hours." Star answered, rubbing her neck. "Though Dad was _really_ impressed you used your own blood to ward off the stump. Mom was surprised to hear that though…"

Marco made a sheepish laugh, letting go of Tom and standing on his own. "When you spend years in Hekapoo's dimension, you learn a thing or two about creatures." Tom raised an eyebrow at the comment, earning a hand wave from Marco. "Either way, sorry for all the trouble. Just wanted to make your day special, Star."

Tom and Star exchanged a knowing look before he turned toward Marco. "I think I need to head back bro. But, don't go all Rambo on us again." He made a fire portal, waving goodbye to Star and Marco. Once Tom left, Star embraced Marco in a warming hug.

"Thank you for everything, Marco. Even if it was messy, I had a great birthday. And now that the stump is gone and you are all patched up, we can celebrate _both_ our b-days!" Marco hugged back, sighing contently at the warmth Star gave off.

"Yeah… That sounds great." They let go and he looked at the table. A large rainbow cake was still present. Marco walked toward it, cutting two pieces for himself and Star. Passing her a plate, he made a mock bow. "For you, milady."

She giggled, making a mock bow herself. "And for you, good sir." Star shoved a piece of cake into Marco's mouth. He swallowed it and smiled at the taste. "Oh, and I got a gift for you. But close your eyes." Marco raised an eyebrow, but Star just puffed her cheeks annoyed. "Just listen to me, Marco."

"Okay…" He closed them and felt something warm on his cheek. Opening them, he touched it, lightning coursing through his system. Looking at Star's blushing face, she just walked to the table and resumed eating her cake. Marco shook his head and smiled like an idiot, rushing next to Star and eating cake himself.


End file.
